The Househunter: Room by Room

GeioSome of my favourite houses are the ones that don’t actually look decorated. Or should that be designed. The ones where it looks like the owners just unpacked their stuff, poured a glass of wine and sat down. This Georgian townhouse is one of those. Although, it has to be said, the words “Georgian” and “townhouse” tend to mean you’re already working with something great. It’s the old Kate Moss would look good in a bin bag scenario.

This particular Georgian townhouse is in North London and is on the market with The Modern House for £1,550,000. It’s Grade II listed and has three bedrooms and a pretty town garden. That’s London speak for small back yard, by the way.

Interior design or not, this is a house that has been designed for a book loving art collector and it goes to show that if you have plenty of those two things you need much less of everything else. Books especially really do decorate a room. It’s like the words in them hang in the atmosphere providing character and personality. A room without books really does feel a little empty.

The architect Archmongers, designed all this shelves to accommodate the owner’s collection and the studio really has taken an imaginative approach to the process. This is so much more than just alcoves and shelves and that’s what’s so clever about it. I like the way the sides of the shelves appear to have been plastered so the bookshelves are part of the walls and bring a sort of sculptural feel to the room.

I’m a sucker for a flagstone floor too and you can see above and below how every wall has been decorated with pictures and paintings. It’s particularly fun in the bathroom where, if things are well-framed and there is good ventilation there’s no reason why you shouldn’t hang pictures in there. I mean I might put the Renoir in the bedroom but everything else should be fine!

Mind you, with windows and panelling like that all you really need is a tin of white paint and a great picture for the wall.

Keeping it short and sweet this week. But these bookshelves reminded me of my dream house which you can read about here. I still think this is one of the cleverest houses I have seen and I was so lucky to get to stay in it.

Back at it next week. Have a great weekend everyone and thank you once again for your kind and supportive messages throughout the week. Every single one has been much appreciated.