When Wiltshire-based decorator Emma Sims-Hilditch and her husband, John, were looking for a London base, they found this family house in Fulham, which was in need of a top-to-toe refurbishment. The work allowed Emma to employ her understanding of spatial planning to reconfigure each floor. ‘We wanted the house to work on many different levels: it was to be somewhere for us to stay in London; for our family to congregate; and for the company to meet new clients.’
By re-organising the run of stairs, Emma was able to borrow under-used space from the landing to make the bedroom larger. ‘We gained an extra 5ft. Not only did it mean that we had room for a superking bed, but also that we could have generous bedside tables, something I much prefer.’
She used Carnival by Christopher Farr (www.christopherfarrcloth.com), a lively, large-scale floral wall-paper that makes a strong design statement. ‘Having not had the opportunity to use wall-paper in our home in Wiltshire, I decided to go bold here,’ says Emma. It is balanced with simple off-white linen curtains in Karoo Soft Ivory by de Le Cuona (www.delecuona.com).
In the bay is a mid-century-style desk by Chelsea Textiles (www.chelseatextiles.com). ‘I wanted to ensure there was a little space to do some work.’
The floors are oak planks in weathered grey. The joinery is painted in Neptune’s Mist, a blue-grey colour, and the skirting and woodwork are in the same company’s Shingle (www.neptune.com). The cornicing is the London cornice by Stevensons of Norwich (www.stevensons-of-norwich.co.uk).
Credit: Adam Carter / Sims-Hilditch
Where I work: Emma Sims-Hilditch, interior designer
A modern kitchen to fit perfectly into a 16th century home
Emma Sims Hilditch has injected contemporary touches into the kitchen of this 16th-century manor house while preserving its character.
Credit: Ed Sheperd / Sims Hilditch
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