Houzz Tour: Period Home Blends Classic and Contemporary Style
A designer gives her family’s early 20th-century house a new life with additions and a renovation
Kirsty Niven’s boys both burst into tears when she and her husband, Tony, first showed them the Edwardian house they planned to make their home. “It was in a sorry state,” she says. “But all Tony and I could see was potential.” Niven, who runs Kirsty Elizabeth Interiors in Surrey, England, set about working on a plan that would double the size of the property, with a triple-story side addition and a single rear one. “Essentially,” she says, “we’ve completely transformed it.”
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The high ceiling allowed Niven to extend the cabinetry upward to pack in more storage, and also to hang two large pendant lights over the island. “The pendants are bronze and I’ve gone for that all over the house. It contrasts nicely with all the tones,” she says.
Faucets: Perrin & Rowe; boiling-water tap: Quooker
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Faucets: Perrin & Rowe; boiling-water tap: Quooker
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At the other end of the back addition, opposite the oven wall and open to the kitchen-dining area, is the living room. To create a focal point in here, Niven added deep blue scallop tiles in the fireplace.
“My personal style is contemporary but timeless so it won’t date, and neutral with accents of color. I’m drawn to blues, greens, grays and greige. However, I’m conscious of the fact we bought a period property,” she says.
“One of my favorite pieces in the downstairs is this statement light. It’s a chandelier, but it’s not fuddy-duddy.”
Scallop tiles: Ca’ Pietra; chandelier: Visual Comfort
“My personal style is contemporary but timeless so it won’t date, and neutral with accents of color. I’m drawn to blues, greens, grays and greige. However, I’m conscious of the fact we bought a period property,” she says.
“One of my favorite pieces in the downstairs is this statement light. It’s a chandelier, but it’s not fuddy-duddy.”
Scallop tiles: Ca’ Pietra; chandelier: Visual Comfort
To maintain flow, Niven chose the same oatmeal paint she’d used on the kitchen cabinets for the room’s custom shelving. She went for comfortable furniture with an informal feel. “I’ve got two boys who climb over everything,” she says.
Wall lights: Industville; armchairs: Sofa.com
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Wall lights: Industville; armchairs: Sofa.com
Not sure where to start on your home project? Learn the basics
Blue chaise sofa, Sofa.com
The ground floor plan shows the single-story back addition containing the kitchen-dining area and living room, plus a home theater. The triple-story addition on the left contains the pool room, powder room and utility, which has also has an exterior door — handy for when the boys arrive home with muddy sports gear.
In the original part of the house, Niven wanted to respect the home’s architectural heritage, although many original details, such as coving and ceiling medallions, had to be restored or replaced.
She added half-height paneling to run through the hallway and up the stairs. The high baseboards are typical of an Edwardian property, she says.
Window mirror: Maisons du Monde
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She added half-height paneling to run through the hallway and up the stairs. The high baseboards are typical of an Edwardian property, she says.
Window mirror: Maisons du Monde
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When it came to the home office, which is also in the old house, Niven had the waterfall-style desk built to her own design. Made from raw oak, which was then varnished, it adds a warm contrast to the off-black cabinetry.
“My husband has been working from home and he loves it,” she says, laughing. “It’s as if he’s got his own mini boardroom!”
“My husband has been working from home and he loves it,” she says, laughing. “It’s as if he’s got his own mini boardroom!”
Some of the additional rooms the additions have allowed for are functional, but this one is all about fun. While Niven was initially unsure about having a games room, it proved a godsend for the family during lockdown. The custom traditional pool table comes with a table tennis top.
To introduce a contemporary touch, they opted for steel-frame-style wooden glazed doors painted in the same off-black as the kitchen island.
To introduce a contemporary touch, they opted for steel-frame-style wooden glazed doors painted in the same off-black as the kitchen island.
In the downstairs powder room, a generously size sink takes center stage while textured wallpaper adds a luxurious feel.
Sink: Sanctuary Kitchens & Bathrooms
Sink: Sanctuary Kitchens & Bathrooms
When planning the utility room, Niven was careful to go for durable materials that are easy to clean, choosing gloss tiles on the walls and porcelain ones for the floor.
“This is a really hardworking room,” she says. “It’s where the boys dump all their muddy stuff when they come in from football, so that’s how we designed it.”
“This is a really hardworking room,” she says. “It’s where the boys dump all their muddy stuff when they come in from football, so that’s how we designed it.”
For her son Max’s room, Niven set about designing a semi-walk-in closet with a false wall, but then had second thoughts.
“The run was too long to use just for a [closet], so I decided to cut it off to create a nook where we could make a desk area for him to do his homework,” she says. “I had a bit of fun with it and added some wallpaper featuring planes.”
Wall paint: Green Smoke, Farrow & Ball
“The run was too long to use just for a [closet], so I decided to cut it off to create a nook where we could make a desk area for him to do his homework,” she says. “I had a bit of fun with it and added some wallpaper featuring planes.”
Wall paint: Green Smoke, Farrow & Ball
Her youngest son, Ollie, loves his dinosaur wallpaper, and so does Niven. “It’s playful but tasteful,” she says.
D’ya-think-e-saurus wallpaper in Bone China Blue: PaperBoy Wallpaper
D’ya-think-e-saurus wallpaper in Bone China Blue: PaperBoy Wallpaper
In the master bedroom, Niven created a luxury hotel feel with a dark wall behind a crisp white bed. MDF moldings were added to the wall to replicate paneling. “This space is a real sanctuary for us,” she says.
Wallspaint: Hague Blue, Farrow & Ball; super-king bed: Button & Sprung
Wallspaint: Hague Blue, Farrow & Ball; super-king bed: Button & Sprung
The master dressing room features a window seat and floor-to-ceiling built-in closets. The cabinetry was painted a light color to ensure it didn’t overwhelm the space.
Cabinetry paint: Shingle, Neptune
Cabinetry paint: Shingle, Neptune
In the primary bathroom, “I decided to go bold, as I think that works well in smaller spaces,” Niven says. “The teal color doesn’t feel overbearing in here because of all the white elements, such as the bespoke vanity unit.”
Wall paint: Inchyra Blue, Farrow & Ball: faucet: Crosswater
Wall paint: Inchyra Blue, Farrow & Ball: faucet: Crosswater
The first-floor plan.
Niven continued her high-contrast color palette right up to the guest bedroom at the top of the house, with a navy feature wall beautifully framing the buttoned headboard.
Wall paint: Cornforth White, Farrow & Ball; bed: Loaf
Wall paint: Cornforth White, Farrow & Ball; bed: Loaf
“I got so lucky with the bath in the guest bathroom,” Niven says. “It’s a small one — not massively expensive –—and just fitted perfectly into that space. I love placing baths under big windows, because when you’re lying there looking out, it just feels so relaxing.”
Sink and bath faucets: Crosswater
Sink and bath faucets: Crosswater
Surprisingly, given the amount of work the couple ended up doing, and in spite of unforeseen challenges such as lockdown, which threatened to delay the build, the project only took a year to complete. “Creating a home is stressful,” Niven says, “but it’s such a satisfying thing to do.”
The second-floor plan.
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House at a Glance
Who lives here: Interior designer Kirsty Niven of Kirsty Elizabeth Interiors, her husband, Tony, and their two young sons, Max and Ollie
Location Oxted, Surrey, England
Size: Five bedrooms and 2½ bathrooms
The kitchen, which is in the back single-story addition, is south-facing and flooded with natural light thanks to two skylights and a wall of windows and glass doors.
The color scheme is a mix of pale tones and deeper hues, with an oatmeal shade on the wall cabinets and an off-black on the island. Niven decided to extend the light and dark palette throughout the home to create a connected feel.
Skylights: Velux; wall cabinet paint: Silver Birch, island paint: Charcoal, both Neptune