This Victorian maisonette was transformed into the ultimate sanctuary by interiors studio Wilding & Wolfe, located in Putney, a district in south-west London, England. The homeowner wanted her home to reflect her South African roots while offering a welcome retreat from life on the road. The property itself, however was small, tired and forlorn, but there was scope to change the layout and extend upwards. Purchased in 2010, the home now offers a sitting room, kitchen-diner/study, four bedrooms (one en-suite), shower room and basement.

Sitting Room: Pale walls are an ideal canvas for vibrant accessories and retro pieces.

Keen to add more space, without compromising the architectural features, the designers came up with a floorplan that effectively doubled the living space. Converting the loft area into two bedrooms and an en-suite bathroom was key to the redesign, as was reconfiguring the ground floor to create an open-plan kitchen-diner/ sitting room. ‘I wanted this to be airy, functional and uncluttered,’ says the homeowner, ‘but with such limited space we had to come up with some clever storage solutions, such as utilizing the area under the banquette seating in the dining area.’

The homeowner had a clear vision of how the interior would look and wanted to use the colors of her homeland as inspiration for the palette. ‘Coming from South Africa, I felt it was important to have a background of warm hues,’ she says. ‘The overall style had to be fresh and bright, and include lots of natural materials, too.’ The designers skillfully interpreted her wishes creating an effortlessly chic scheme with vibrant splashes of color.

The builders made the shelves and desk in the study. The Erice trestle chair from Chaplins, is a good match. The Roman blind was made to order by Harmony Amory in Nobi 10426 fabric from Zimmer + Rohde.

Custom-made shelves make good use of a space at the top of the stairs leading to the new loft conversion. As well as providing additional storage, it also adds interest to this area.

Bespoke storage keeps this serene master bedroom space calm and uncluttered. From the homeowner: “I love the master bedroom with its en-suite bathroom – it’s so comfortable and everything strikes just the right note. After so much travelling and sleeping in tents, it’s such a lovely haven to return to.”

A luxury tub in the master en-suite bathroom was high on the homeowner’s wish list.

Light-reflecting materials and a bright palette gives the illusion of space in this shower room. The walls were painted in Skimming Stone estate emulsion by Farrow & Ball.

Photos: Courtesy of Amory Brown