Houzz Tour: An Old Vicarage Becomes an Elegant Family Home
This period home in England is sophisticated in its style, and family-friendly in its comfort level and sturdiness
Can you design a house that’s both stylish and kid-friendly? That was the intention of the family that took on the task of overhauling this former vicarage, which was in a state of disrepair. The couple hired designer Cherie Lee to create a home that would work for their kids but that would keep the feeling of a grown-up space. The resulting residence, in southeast England, combines practicality, smart design and fun elements.
The couple had seen a chandelier they loved in one of Lee’s previous projects, but it was out of their price range. Lee helped them find a less expensive alternative; it has a wide shape to fit in the space.
Throughout the ground floor, reclaimed engineered boards in a midtone with gray hues form the flooring. They’re smart-looking but also a robust, child-friendly choice.
Browse chandeliers by price in the Houzz Shop
Throughout the ground floor, reclaimed engineered boards in a midtone with gray hues form the flooring. They’re smart-looking but also a robust, child-friendly choice.
Browse chandeliers by price in the Houzz Shop
A pink-blossomed tree is positioned close to the French doors, and the rest of the garden’s planting has a similar cool palette. Lee and her clients decided to pull the colors from the garden into the living room. “We chose pale, restful colors,” Lee says, “and we could go light, as it’s an adult room.”
Lee continued the theme of bringing in nature with this patterned Zoffany wallpaper. “It has a lovely earthy feel,” she says.
Shop for wallpaper
Shop for wallpaper
The kids’ play space is practical and comfortable, and it has plenty of room for fun. The color scheme uses the classic child shades of blue and pink, but Lee has gone for stylish hues to give it a grown-up edge.
“It’s the first room you walk by when you enter the house,” Lee says, “so it needed to be both playful and attractive. There is loads of storage to keep everything tidy.”
The paint on the walls is Hague Blue from Farrow & Ball.
“It’s the first room you walk by when you enter the house,” Lee says, “so it needed to be both playful and attractive. There is loads of storage to keep everything tidy.”
The paint on the walls is Hague Blue from Farrow & Ball.
False paneling hides a wall of storage. Touch-latch doors open out to reveal enough space for the children’s toys and game consoles.
Although the hallway is large, the family didn’t want to overfill it with furniture. “They’ve got a dog, a cat and two children, so didn’t want to risk bumping into furniture,” Lee says. “We kept it sleek and accented it with attractive accessories.”
The original Victorian door is a design statement in itself. “We restored the glass and painted the door in a dark color to make the glass pop,” Lee says.
Lee also painted the stairs and banisters, and laid a statement carpet runner complete with brass stair rods.
The wall paint is Skimming Stone again, with Farrow & Ball’s Off-Black on the door.
The original Victorian door is a design statement in itself. “We restored the glass and painted the door in a dark color to make the glass pop,” Lee says.
Lee also painted the stairs and banisters, and laid a statement carpet runner complete with brass stair rods.
The wall paint is Skimming Stone again, with Farrow & Ball’s Off-Black on the door.
The mirror above the Andrew Martin console table in the hall reflects the light and echoes the steel-framed doors used in many of the rooms.
Browse mirrors in many shapes and sizes
Browse mirrors in many shapes and sizes
The cooking area has an industrial feel. “The couple had seen this kitchen at a design exhibition and loved it,” Lee says. “They bought it on the spot, so we used it as our starting point.”
The bold kitchen cabinetry by Diane Berry Kitchens has a stone finish with copper tones, and below the island is laser-cut steel to enhance the industrial look. Lee chose a polished plaster in the dining area to pick up on the copper in the cabinetry, and installed a hole-in-the-wall gas fire, which is a convenient and modern option.
“The kitchen is dark and atmospheric, but to offset it slightly, we went for a lighter flooring,” Lee says. The dark cabinetry is ideal for hiding the kids’ messy fingerprints.
The bold kitchen cabinetry by Diane Berry Kitchens has a stone finish with copper tones, and below the island is laser-cut steel to enhance the industrial look. Lee chose a polished plaster in the dining area to pick up on the copper in the cabinetry, and installed a hole-in-the-wall gas fire, which is a convenient and modern option.
“The kitchen is dark and atmospheric, but to offset it slightly, we went for a lighter flooring,” Lee says. The dark cabinetry is ideal for hiding the kids’ messy fingerprints.
Tall handleless cabinets hide plenty of storage, including a pantry and a small-appliance station. Everything is kept out of sight to keep the focus on the beautiful cabinet surfaces.
Lee chose a rustic Norr11 dining table to add warmth to the room, while statement lighting brings in a striking element.
The space was originally a series of garden storage rooms, which Lee’s team knocked through to create the large, open space. They retained the exposed brick, which adds character to the kitchen.
Browse rustic dining tables
Lee chose a rustic Norr11 dining table to add warmth to the room, while statement lighting brings in a striking element.
The space was originally a series of garden storage rooms, which Lee’s team knocked through to create the large, open space. They retained the exposed brick, which adds character to the kitchen.
Browse rustic dining tables
Lee had the bench seating upholstered in one of her favorite fabrics, Escher from Designers Guild, which has a soft cream-and-black geometrical pattern. The Modo collection chandelier is from Roll & Hill.
In the main bedroom, the couple kept their existing bed, which they found really comfortable. Lee used the oatmeal-colored headboard as the starting point for the room’s palette.
“There were windows on two walls, so the bed was hard to position,” Lee says. “We tried a few options, but this was the preferred spot for us and the clients.”
Lee installed curtains on both sides of the window to make it appear a similar width to the bed. She also put semisheers over the window to prevent glare. Pendant lights on each side act as reading lights, with controls by the doors and the bed.
Lee’s team also restored the floorboards and architraves. Farrow & Ball’s Cornforth White and Pigeon cover the walls.
“There were windows on two walls, so the bed was hard to position,” Lee says. “We tried a few options, but this was the preferred spot for us and the clients.”
Lee installed curtains on both sides of the window to make it appear a similar width to the bed. She also put semisheers over the window to prevent glare. Pendant lights on each side act as reading lights, with controls by the doors and the bed.
Lee’s team also restored the floorboards and architraves. Farrow & Ball’s Cornforth White and Pigeon cover the walls.
Pocket doors lead to an en suite bathroom and dressing area. They’re painted the same color as the wall. “When they’re closed, it makes the room feel really cozy,” Lee says.
The stud column in front of the corner shower is covered with mother-of-pearl mosaic tiles to add a shimmery element to the space.
“We didn’t want to tile the shower walls, but they had to be waterproof,” Lee says. “So we chose a back-painted glass, which we painted the same color as the rest of the walls.”
The stud column in front of the corner shower is covered with mother-of-pearl mosaic tiles to add a shimmery element to the space.
“We didn’t want to tile the shower walls, but they had to be waterproof,” Lee says. “So we chose a back-painted glass, which we painted the same color as the rest of the walls.”
A freestanding bathtub sits in front of a stud wall too. The half wall was covered in mirrored cladding. The tub faucet is fitted into the cladding, and the sink is behind the wall.
Browse freestanding tubs
Browse freestanding tubs
For their son’s bedroom, the couple wanted a room that would grow with him as he became a teenager. Lee chose classic blues and grays, and added orange accents. The Andrew Martin wallpaper behind the bed resembles driftwood paneling.
Their son’s desk unit was custom-made from scaffold planks and reflects the driftwood wallpaper used behind the bed. It gives the room an industrial feel and provides plenty of storage.
The freestanding closet is color-matched to the Farrow & Ball Stiffkey Blue paint on the walls.
The freestanding closet is color-matched to the Farrow & Ball Stiffkey Blue paint on the walls.
The couple’s daughter was really keen on animals when her room was created. The Andrew Martin curtain fabric was chosen because elephants were her favorite.
The color scheme is pink, but Lee chose a subtle, elegant shade (Peignoir from Farrow & Ball) that would be suitable for a teen. Elements such as the fluffy Vitra lamp combine with quirky finds such as the cartoon drawing.
The color scheme is pink, but Lee chose a subtle, elegant shade (Peignoir from Farrow & Ball) that would be suitable for a teen. Elements such as the fluffy Vitra lamp combine with quirky finds such as the cartoon drawing.
This bathroom was designed as a wet room and has a herringbone-style slate floor and a waterproof resin on the walls. “You apply it like polished plaster, and it gives a nice continuous finish with interesting textures,” Lee says.
A teak vanity adds a natural element to the room and complements the copper hardware.
“The patterns in the room are quite geometric,” Lee says, “so we played around with shape and added a round mirror.”
A teak vanity adds a natural element to the room and complements the copper hardware.
“The patterns in the room are quite geometric,” Lee says, “so we played around with shape and added a round mirror.”
The large shower area sits under the sloped ceiling, and a step made with the same resin material as the walls helps retain water. Lee made use of the dead space under the eaves by building a ledge, which acts as a seat as well as a spot for putting towels and toiletries.
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House at a Glance
Who lives here: A married couple, their 12-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter, and their cat and poodle
Location: Southeast England
Size: Five bedrooms, 5½ bathrooms
Designer: Cherie Lee Interiors
The main structural work in this early-1900s Victorian involved the removal of interior walls, one of which divided this airy living space leading out to the garden and the reception room in front of it. “The house had a lot of separate reception rooms, so we opened up these two to add something different,” Lee says. “We installed the [steel-framed] doors to follow the shape of the French doors at the back.”
The two spaces have different functions: The one in the foreground is used mainly for listening to music and reading, and the one in the back is where the couple relax in front of the television at night.
The paint on the walls is Skimming Stone from Farrow & Ball.
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