Exclusive look inside a modern British home in Southwest London

Zulufish had the challenge to transform a dark five-bedroom Edwardian detached house into a colourful, light free-flowing family home. The inspiration was modern British design with a timeless feel, and this is reflected in all areas of this stunning property.

Zulufish’s motto is to always design to the clients’ needs, and this project was no different. The owners were looking for the perfect place where they could put down roots. It was the generous proportions of this five-bedroom house that the couple were drawn to and could envisage sharing with their two children.

Everything started with the design of the main family room / kitchen. Zulufish removed a corridor from the hall to kitchen and designed three sets of double doors for inter-connecting rooms to link the social spaces of the ground floor.

The clients fell in love with the colourful Paul Smith rugs, setting the tone for the rest of the scheme and we pulled out those colours throughout the furniture and accessories.

The dark walnut veneer & satin smooth cappuccino spray-painted finish of the kitchen is given extra depth by the contrasting bronze steel details designed in collaboration with HUX London. Dramatic lighting was also key, using two coordinating sculptural hoop pendants and multiple spherical glass lights hung throughout the interconnecting rooms.

In one of the common rooms, a coffee table designed by Brabbu perfectly blends with the overall décor. It is inspired by the Lowlands of Scotland, called Lallans, which means the integration, blending, and the combination of some Scots dialects.

The table combines four different materials and finishes as a pallisander veneer, black lacquer, polished brass, and aged brass. All these components cross and integrate harmoniously, creating the contemporary feeling in this room.

The rest of the house does not disappoint. The design of the unique dining room bar joinery, again produced by HUX London, is stylish, contemporary and warm.

Upstairs, the master bedroom headboard spans the entire wall and opposite a 3D feature wall conceals the TV. In the bathroom we went for a modern luxury spa feel with a deep oval bath and design-led brassware.

Although it seems that this project was easily conceived because of its fresh look, our main challenge was to maximise the flow and open plan aspect of the ground floor without compromising the size of the living areas.

By removing the hallway leading to the kitchen, we created more room in the family room, yet retained another route to the kitchen through the utility room. The result was an open wide space house combined with modern decoration, where every room is enjoyed to the max.

The finale was the impressive office which was opened into the eaves above a mezzanine level with a spectacular double-height wenge bookcase with bronze railings and ladder as a feature.

Special thanks to HUX London for the kitchen, panelling and joinery and Ruth Willmott Associates for the garden design.