My London Houzz: Black's on Track in This Revamped Period Home
Swapping magnolia for moodier shades and introducing an eclectic mix of pieces turned this home from dull to dashing
Lara Sargent
10 July 2018
Houzz UK contributor. Freelance interiors journalist with over 20 years' experience writing for national magazines, newspapers and websites.
Houzz UK contributor. Freelance interiors journalist with over 20 years' experience... More
Interior designer Tiffany Duggan of Studio Duggan loves to create spaces with a touch of the unexpected and a dash of drama – and nowhere is this more evident than in her own family home. “The common thread in my projects is that there’s always a degree of eclecticism, plus a little old and new, and this is probably more pronounced in my own home, where I had free rein,” she says. “Funnily enough, though, I found it very disconcerting to have no brief.”
House at a Glance
Who lives here: Interior designer Tiffany Duggan, her husband, James, and their two sons, Jefferson and Finlay, along with cats Rocco and Lola and rescue dog Tanya
Location: Queen’s Park, London, UK
Property: A three-storey Edwardian terraced house
Size: Four bedrooms and three bathrooms
Designer: Tiffany Duggan, founder of Studio Duggan
Interior designer Tiffany Duggan and her husband, James, spent six months refurbishing the house. “Beforehand, we lived in a charming but compact Victorian workman’s cottage and, with two young boys, we needed more space,” says Tiffany. “We loved the grand proportions, high ceilings and period features here, but it was very neutral – full of magnolia walls and lacking in character. It was crying out for an injection of personality and a little love.”
Who lives here: Interior designer Tiffany Duggan, her husband, James, and their two sons, Jefferson and Finlay, along with cats Rocco and Lola and rescue dog Tanya
Location: Queen’s Park, London, UK
Property: A three-storey Edwardian terraced house
Size: Four bedrooms and three bathrooms
Designer: Tiffany Duggan, founder of Studio Duggan
Interior designer Tiffany Duggan and her husband, James, spent six months refurbishing the house. “Beforehand, we lived in a charming but compact Victorian workman’s cottage and, with two young boys, we needed more space,” says Tiffany. “We loved the grand proportions, high ceilings and period features here, but it was very neutral – full of magnolia walls and lacking in character. It was crying out for an injection of personality and a little love.”
Black is a favourite colour for Tiffany, and the blue-black in the hallway creates an enveloping space. “I’m a big fan of dark paint tones and think they work excellently in transitory areas, such as halls, by grounding the space,” she says. “In my house, the kids are always running up and down the stairs with messy fingers, so it works especially well to hide a multitude of sins!”
Branching off the moody hallway are rooms painted in lush khakis, dusky pinks and mercurial greys.
“The colour scheme throughout has lots of green, pink, mustard, deep blue and, most importantly, black – I think every room needs a little black,” she says.
Branching off the moody hallway are rooms painted in lush khakis, dusky pinks and mercurial greys.
“The colour scheme throughout has lots of green, pink, mustard, deep blue and, most importantly, black – I think every room needs a little black,” she says.
The large, double reception room on the ground floor stretches from the front of the house to the kitchen at the back. It’s furnished in a considered mix of old and new and painted in a sludgy khaki colour.
“It’s so warm and enveloping and it’s an easy transition from the moody hallway,” says Tiffany. “The ceiling is painted in the same colour as the walls to give the room a cohesive and comforting feel, and also to allow for a calming base on which to layer interesting textures and patterns.”
Rich velvet and embroidered linens invigorate the seating, and the glass and stitched red leather side tables add colour.
“It’s so warm and enveloping and it’s an easy transition from the moody hallway,” says Tiffany. “The ceiling is painted in the same colour as the walls to give the room a cohesive and comforting feel, and also to allow for a calming base on which to layer interesting textures and patterns.”
Rich velvet and embroidered linens invigorate the seating, and the glass and stitched red leather side tables add colour.
The living room is Tiffany’s look in a nutshell: a careful edit of old and new with a dash of humour. “I call it considered eclecticism – a mix of classic and vintage finds, punctuated by edgy, surprising pieces,” she says. “Contemporary lines mix with a few, well-chosen antiques and lots of varied textures – and above all a touch of humour, which I love.”
For a busy family trying to balance work and life, the living room needed to be a multi-functional space: a warm, family hub where children and adults alike could spend quality time, and also an area where Tiffany could work and respond to emails after hours.
“I hate feeling banished to a designated study when I’m working, and I also didn’t have space for this, so the idea was to create a desk I would actually want to spend time at without feeling isolated from the goings-on of the house,” she says.
“I hate feeling banished to a designated study when I’m working, and I also didn’t have space for this, so the idea was to create a desk I would actually want to spend time at without feeling isolated from the goings-on of the house,” she says.
The smart, monochrome kitchen is at the back of the house on the ground floor. “The entrance hall and reception room lead separately into the kitchen, and both are cosier, darker areas. I wanted the kitchen to feel lighter and fresher than these spaces, but it was really important that it still had a link to the rest of the ground floor,” says Tiffany.
“The drama and connection to the moodier, adjacent spaces was created with a full wall of black Moroccan zellige tiles and a black AGA,” she adds.
Tiffany boxed off the extractor fan and finished it with a pretty zinc trim she found at a French market.
“The drama and connection to the moodier, adjacent spaces was created with a full wall of black Moroccan zellige tiles and a black AGA,” she adds.
Tiffany boxed off the extractor fan and finished it with a pretty zinc trim she found at a French market.
Tiffany kept the original location of the kitchen, but did swap the units and add in an island. “The ceiling height in the kitchen is lower than in the rest of the house, so I painted it, the walls and the units in the same tone [a very pale taupe] to unite the space and blur the edges,” she says.
“The concrete benchtop offsets the sleek, matt lacquer units and provides balance.”
“The concrete benchtop offsets the sleek, matt lacquer units and provides balance.”
The light-filled dining area is open-plan to the kitchen. “A timber floor and table soften the edges and offer a natural element, which is so important in any scheme,” says Tiffany. “The vintage chairs were once black, but I spray-painted them pink.”
For a cohesive, flowing backdrop, parquet flooring is used seamlessly throughout the living room and kitchen.
For a cohesive, flowing backdrop, parquet flooring is used seamlessly throughout the living room and kitchen.
The master suite at the front of the first floor is a luxurious space, home to a custom-made four-poster bed and a freestanding bath.
“I wanted a bit of luxury and serenity to create a space that feels like a sanctuary,” says Tiffany. “The bath was chosen at the beginning of the project, so the plumbing worked around it.”
“I wanted a bit of luxury and serenity to create a space that feels like a sanctuary,” says Tiffany. “The bath was chosen at the beginning of the project, so the plumbing worked around it.”
The bedroom leads seamlessly into the large ensuite bathroom past built-in floor-to-ceiling wardrobes in bleached white oak.
The bespoke, trough-style basin is clad in a Béton Ciré micro-concrete finish. It’s flanked by ribbed-glass, steel-framed doors, which lead to a separate shower and toilet.
Clashing prints and weathered hues create a laid-back ambience in the master bedroom.
A charming guest bedroom at the back of the first floor is painted in a restful shade of light pink and furnished with Tiffany’s signature blend of old and new.
The first-floor bathroom, which is next to the guest bedroom, is decorated in a sophisticated monochrome palette and a mix of natural materials.
The elegant vanity unit is made up of a new basin and a hand-painted vintage French chest of drawers picked up on eBay.
The elegant vanity unit is made up of a new basin and a hand-painted vintage French chest of drawers picked up on eBay.
Tiffany’s attention to detail continues in the compact bathroom. “I wanted to make the most of the small space, so I continued the stone slabs into the shower to maximise the floor area,” she says.
“I also like to create bathrooms that don’t feel too cold or ‘bathroomy’ by bringing in softer, more decorative elements. The repurposed antique drawers, rustic side table and Roman blind were all chosen to create a warm and welcoming vibe that didn’t jar with the rest of the house.”
“I also like to create bathrooms that don’t feel too cold or ‘bathroomy’ by bringing in softer, more decorative elements. The repurposed antique drawers, rustic side table and Roman blind were all chosen to create a warm and welcoming vibe that didn’t jar with the rest of the house.”
The charcoal-coloured walls and woodwork continue onto the landing and up to the second floor. The dark shade is punctuated by the quirky amber glass tassel lights.
The second floor is given over to the children, with a bedroom, playroom and twin bathroom.
“The layout works really well for us as a family,” says Tiffany. “The top floor isn’t a loft conversion, as it was built as a three-storey house, so we have three really great floors and no low ceilings.
“I wanted to create a tropical holiday vibe, hence the jungle-feel wallpaper, whitewashed treehouse-style bunks, and rattan shade.”
“The layout works really well for us as a family,” says Tiffany. “The top floor isn’t a loft conversion, as it was built as a three-storey house, so we have three really great floors and no low ceilings.
“I wanted to create a tropical holiday vibe, hence the jungle-feel wallpaper, whitewashed treehouse-style bunks, and rattan shade.”
The tropical-print wallpaper makes a punchy statement. “I wanted something fun and a touch of the unexpected,” says Tiffany. “I always loved the [1940s] original massive banana leaf paper in the Beverly Hills Hotel in LA – and it seems I wasn’t the only one to be inspired, as I’ve seen this used extensively.”
The green and white colour scheme continues into the boys’ bathroom.
One side of the playroom is covered in blackboard paint, which is also magnetic, so the children can stick up their artwork.
“The boys get a floor to themselves where they can play with their toys and make a mess – and we get a little sanctuary in the master suite below,” says Tiffany.
“The boys get a floor to themselves where they can play with their toys and make a mess – and we get a little sanctuary in the master suite below,” says Tiffany.
Tell us
What do you love about this home? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to like the story, save your favourite images and join the conversation.
More
Take a look at last week’s My Madrid Houzz: An Art-Filled Home for a Former Gallery Owner for more inspiration
What do you love about this home? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to like the story, save your favourite images and join the conversation.
More
Take a look at last week’s My Madrid Houzz: An Art-Filled Home for a Former Gallery Owner for more inspiration
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Love it! Especially those sinks in the boys bedroom
My daughter had an identical house in Kensal Rise, ground floor all blue/black and upholstery and accessories gold. It looked beautiful - everyone loved it but said they couldn't live in it. When it came to selling she had dozens of viewings but no offers. She had it all painted white and at the next viewing it sold. It takes a brave person to live in such dramatic surroundings.