My Houzz: Vintage Finds Artfully Arranged in a Cozy Cottage
This compact London family home has been lovingly updated to create a light-filled space full of character
When Anna Burles and her business partner and husband, Chris Trotman, bought this house, they weren’t expecting it to become their home. As the owners of Run for the Hills, they specialize in commercial and residential developments, and they thought they’d fix up this property and sell it. “Things didn’t go to plan because we fell in love with it,” says Burles, who has decorated it in ice cream shades and vintage finds. Cozy but able to accommodate a family of four, it has a location that’s unbeatable: just 10 minutes from the couple’s office. “We’d rather compromise on size than location,” Burles says.
The kitchen has a utilitarian look. Floating shelves display pretty enamel pieces and jars with labels designed by Trotman, a graphic designer and artist.
Moonbeam penny round mosaic tiles: Original Style
Moonbeam penny round mosaic tiles: Original Style
Burles went for an off-the-shelf kitchen, customizing the cabinetry with handles made from fossilized wood. “My husband, Chris, almost lost it when he found out how much they were, but they really did transform the units,” she says. The room is peppered with vintage glass and enamel pieces.
Kitchen cabinetry: Howdens; fossilized wood handles: Chloe Alberry
Kitchen cabinetry: Howdens; fossilized wood handles: Chloe Alberry
Because the ground floor is open-plan, with the kitchen at the back, the dining area leading off the kitchen and the living area at the front, the view from the back of the house to the front is uninterrupted. “I can be cooking in the kitchen and still keep an eye on the kids when they’re causing mayhem in the front,” Burles says.
The floor in the dining area is lime-washed oak. “It’s a bit dark, but it still bounces the light around the room,” Burles says. A lace tablecloth, antique candelabra and vintage chairs contrast with the modern prints on the wall. “We love juxtaposing vintage one-off pieces with more contemporary design,” Burles says.
Lace tablecloth: MYB Textiles; lime-washed burnt smoked oak floor: Havwoods
The floor in the dining area is lime-washed oak. “It’s a bit dark, but it still bounces the light around the room,” Burles says. A lace tablecloth, antique candelabra and vintage chairs contrast with the modern prints on the wall. “We love juxtaposing vintage one-off pieces with more contemporary design,” Burles says.
Lace tablecloth: MYB Textiles; lime-washed burnt smoked oak floor: Havwoods
The shell on the table is actually made of resin. “It’s incredibly realistic, even close up,” Burles says. She found the pendant (one of a pair) on a trip to Paris with Chris. “They are really heavy, and Chris was furious that we ended up carrying them around Paris. But if you find something you love, you’ve just got to get it. Don’t wait, don’t think about it, don’t hope you’ll find it again.”
Soft pink walls and velvet upholstery create a soothing mood in the living area.
Three-seat Bluebell sofa and Valentin footstool: Sofa.com; sofa upholstery in Dusk and footstool upholstery in Pale Rose: Varese velvet from Designers Guild; wall paint: Middleton Pink, Farrow & Ball
Three-seat Bluebell sofa and Valentin footstool: Sofa.com; sofa upholstery in Dusk and footstool upholstery in Pale Rose: Varese velvet from Designers Guild; wall paint: Middleton Pink, Farrow & Ball
There are all sorts of vintage items around the house.
The bar cabinet seen here used to be a medical cabinet, and the pelican lamp is a former figurine that was converted to a lamp by an antiques shop. “The Indian cow’s head was sent to me in the post as a thank-you from an intern,” Burles says.
Vintage German medical cabinet: Junk Deluxe
The bar cabinet seen here used to be a medical cabinet, and the pelican lamp is a former figurine that was converted to a lamp by an antiques shop. “The Indian cow’s head was sent to me in the post as a thank-you from an intern,” Burles says.
Vintage German medical cabinet: Junk Deluxe
Clever design ideas include using the space under the stairs, just off the dining area, as a compact home office. The kitchen’s tile floor was designed by Burles.
Wall paint: Elephant’s Breath estate emulsion, Farrow & Ball
Wall paint: Elephant’s Breath estate emulsion, Farrow & Ball
Chris designed about a third of the artwork in the house, including the God Save the Queen print.
Read our guide to limited-edition prints
Read our guide to limited-edition prints
The master bedroom has a mix of retail and vintage pieces. “It’s the equivalent of a fashionista never wearing top-to-toe designer or top-to-toe [mall retailer] — you have to mix and match,” Burles says. Soft textiles and a feathered pendant emphasize the stark texture of the animal skull above the bed.
Eos pendant shade: Heal’s; Sienna linen throw in Dove: Designers Guild; Pascale armoires: Loaf
Eos pendant shade: Heal’s; Sienna linen throw in Dove: Designers Guild; Pascale armoires: Loaf
A 1960s sideboard is a handy place to display more intriguing objects, including an antique fan and another animal skull.
“Vintage pieces are what makes a place feel unique,” Burles says. “I always spend more on pieces I’m going to take from house to house rather than trend-led pieces, since you’ll probably fall out of love with them in a couple of years.”
Horns: Les Couilles du Chien
“Vintage pieces are what makes a place feel unique,” Burles says. “I always spend more on pieces I’m going to take from house to house rather than trend-led pieces, since you’ll probably fall out of love with them in a couple of years.”
Horns: Les Couilles du Chien
A warm mauve-gray color provides a relaxing backdrop to the less conventional pieces in the master bedroom. “A lot of people describe our look as a bit quirky,” Burles says. “I’d say it’s creative.”
Wall and ceiling paint: Dove Tale estate emulsion, Farrow & Ball
Wall and ceiling paint: Dove Tale estate emulsion, Farrow & Ball
Burles found a matching pair of bedside tables in a vintage shop. The wall light looks vintage but is actually new.
Wall light: Rockett St George
Wall light: Rockett St George
The spatially challenged bathroom had been dominated by a full-size tub, so Burles found a smaller option. “I found one that was [47 inches long] and reorientated it under the window instead of it running the full length of the room.” The vanity is a customized media cabinet, and the bright, almost neon yellow ceiling is a fun touch.
“I was really keen on floor-to-ceiling tiles,” Burles says, “but if I did it again I’d have something that breathes a bit more, I think.”
Hexagonal tiles: Original Style; ceiling paint: Yellowcake estate emulsion, Farrow & Ball
“I was really keen on floor-to-ceiling tiles,” Burles says, “but if I did it again I’d have something that breathes a bit more, I think.”
Hexagonal tiles: Original Style; ceiling paint: Yellowcake estate emulsion, Farrow & Ball
The dressing room (now the children’s bedroom) epitomizes the old-meets-new vibe of the cottage with a bright pink clothes rack and vintage drawing.
Framed skeleton drawing: Les Couilles du Chien; engineered Henley oak boards in Fresco, Havwoods; clothes rack: Yorkshire Displays
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Framed skeleton drawing: Les Couilles du Chien; engineered Henley oak boards in Fresco, Havwoods; clothes rack: Yorkshire Displays
More home tours: Apartments | Small Homes | Lofts | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | All
House at a Glance
Who lives here: Anna Burles and Chris Trotman of Run for the Hills and their two young children
Location: West London
Property: A Victorian worker’s cottage in a preservation area
Size: Two bedrooms, one bathroom
This 19th-century cottage has seen a lot of changes: It now includes a light-filled addition and an open layout downstairs. But its latest transformation wasn’t all smooth sailing, Burles says.
“Because we’re in a conservation area, there were loads of restrictions,” she says. “We couldn’t do bifold doors onto the garden, for example. It was quite a challenge to still make it what we wanted.”
Skylights were given the green light by the planning commission, and they let in plenty of natural light on the ground floor. “It’s south-facing as well, which has a massive impact on light,” Burles says.
In the kitchen area, an island with a zinc top is joined to a vintage map chest. “We wanted the chest to face into the living and dining area so the island wouldn’t feel like a kitchen unit,” Burles says.
Dining area wall paint: Elephant’s Breath estate emulsion, Farrow & Ball; kitchen wall paint: All White estate emulsion, Farrow & Ball