A young designer's artful renovation of the ground floor flat of a Victorian terrace
Just under a year ago the interior designer Sarah Peake launched her own firm, Studio Peake, after a decade working as a designer for Alidad, the king of opulent yet supremely comfortable interiors, and Todhunter Earle, a studio at completely the other end of the design spectrum, known for its luxurious, contemporary spaces.
‘How I work now almost merges their approaches. I often think in an Alidad-like way, going into the fine, tiny details; but the creation of bespoke elements in my projects was definitely honed during my time at Todhunter Earle.’
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Sarah’s own flat, on the ground floor of a Victorian terrace in west London is a perfect showcase for her work. Sarah redesigned the layout, extended the back and sides of the house, and fully redecorated. She moved the poky kitchen to the back of the house, designing the joinery herself. ‘I wanted to keep it simple. Marble work surfaces and splash-backs and painted cabinets.' She also added a narrow island, building in bookcases and concealing the washing machine.
Sarah and her husband were on a tight budget. ‘We bought lots from IKEA, painted things ourselves and added details gradually over time. The house was constantly changing and evolving. We would line wardrobes with wallpaper one day and be hunting marble slabs for the kitchen the next. Furniture was purchased gradually. We took about a year to find everything we wanted.’
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‘I like to mix a lot of different styles’, she says. ‘I love more eclectic designers such as Josef Frank’. Projects often see her combining contemporary furniture shapes with traditional embroidery styles. However the most important thing is that each project is, ‘a reflection of who lives there.’ Bold but never overpowering. She cites Papers and Paints’ ‘Fenching Blue’ and ‘Sung Green’, as her paint colours of choice, and Namay Samay’s zigzag ‘Rouen’ embroidery as her favourite fabric. ‘It is slightly too bold to use in large quantities, but I love using it in small nuggets’. Sarah also uses Swedish antique textile hangings and rugs in almost all of her projects. ‘I am always rummaging for them at Sigmar, Robert Stephenson and Foster and Gane.’
So far all of her clients have found her through word of mouth, and she is currently working on six projects, including a house in Parsons Green and a country house in Suffolk.
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Alexander James1/12Smart blue-painted cabinets and white Carrara marble surfaces give the kitchen a clean look. 'I didn't want it to feel too country,' says Sarah.
Alexander James2/12The shelves in the kitchen house a collection of ceramics, some of which are from Miranda Berrow, some Sarah made herself, and others belonged to her grandmother, while ceramics from Dorian Caffot de Fawes Antiques stand on the table
Alexander James3/12The joinery throughout the house was made by a local joiner to Sarah's design. Sarah bought the lights over the bookshelf from IKEA and spraypainted them red. A framed wallhanging by BFGF, found at Hackney shop A New Tribe, hangs on the wall to the right. The coffee table is from West Elm.
Alexander James4/12Cushions from Penny Morrison and the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul decorate a Camerich sofa, while a selection of prints hang on the wall beyond. 'My favourite print here is Napoleon in the Snow by Kate Boxer, says Sarah. Next to it is an Aubrey Beardsley print of Ali Baba.
Alexander James5/12The sideboard is from Chelsea Textiles; the rope lamp is an antique from Dorian Caffot de Fawes by Audoux Minet who makes for Atelier Vime. The picture above is by Wayne Pate.
Alexander James6/12The study is painted in Edward Bulmer's Aerial Tint. The curtains are in Christopher Farr's 'Belfour' fabric with a Samuel & Sons trim. Sarah has recovered one of her grandmother's chairs in a Colefax & Fowler fabric.
Alexander James7/12In the study, the antique desk was an Ebay find, paired with a chair from A Rum Fellow while the rattan table next to it is from Kalinko. Sarah made the pinboard with offcuts of surplus fabrics. The lamp is from Ilse Crawford.
Alexander James8/12In the hallway, a Robert Stephenson rug provides a hit of colour against the door, painted in Farrow & Ball's 'Vardo'. A map of Sri Lanka hangs on the opposite wall. The light over the bookshelf is from Urban Electric.
Alexander James9/12In the bedroom, the bed has a headboard made to Sarah's design and upholstered in Penny Morrison's 'Begum' fabric; the skull caps on the wall, the patterned cushion, and the bedspread are all from Susan Deliss; a Robert Kime lampshade sits atop a lamp made from an old banister spindle.
Alexander James10/12The chair was a £40 find from an Italian market; another Robert Stephenson rug is beneath. The wardrobes were custom built to Sarah's design, with handles from Chloe Alberry.
Alexander James11/12The curtains in the bedroom are in Fermoie's 'Aylsham' fabric in a discontinued colourway; the lamp is Vaughan and shade is Susan Deliss; a pair of Rachel Vosper candles sit on the table.
Alexander James12/12The marble on the vanity was made from an offcut from the Carrara marble used for the kitchen; the vanity is from IKEA but repainted and given new knobs. A pair of Tinsmiths lamps topped with Rosi de Ruig lampshades are placed each side of the Pottery Barn mirror.
