‘Sweeping’ is not a word homeowners often use when describing their dream home to an interior designer. But it was precisely the brief given to Louise McGarry, creative director of Studio Braw, by the owners of this Wimbledon Village new-build. ‘We understood this to be about the feeling of a space and the sense of being enveloped by it,’ she recalls, ‘a home that feels grand yet somehow cocoons you.’
The clients were developing the house from scratch, and it seems a similar brief had been given to the architect, Andrew Harper of local practice Harper Latter Architects. The resulting structure has a distinctly Georgian sensibility: a symmetrical façade, tall ceilings, generously proportioned, light-filled rooms and a grand staircase that could put many of Wimbledon’s finest to shame. Louise’s job was to bring warmth and character to the newbuild, while weaving the couple’s Pakistani and British heritage together through a contemporary lens. ‘It helped that we worked alongside the architect from the very start,’ she says. ‘This allowed us to consider the interiors alongside the architecture and ensure the proportions, layouts and connections between spaces worked with our vision from the beginning.’
The entrance hall, with walls in Farrow & Ball’s Slipper Satin and a herringbone timber flooring, sets the scene for this Georgian-inspired house in Wimbledon Village. It leads directly to the open-plan family living area, with the staircase and living room branching off on either side. The console table is a mid-19th-century Italian design in burr elm
Even then, one of the biggest challenges Studio Braw faced was the sheer size of the property. ‘Creating spaces that feel cosy, homely and elegant is much more difficult when working on such a mammoth scale,’ says Louise. ‘It required us to go large too. This meant a lot of bespoke elements, including large size furniture and rugs, layers upon layers of fabrics and a material palette that would lend depth and personality without overwhelming the space.’ A fine example of this balance is the aforementioned staircase; its gently swirling shape echo the ‘sweeping’ proportions of the hallway but Emperador marble steps, wrought iron spindles and a polished timber handrail soften it and lend it grace.