North West London

A heritage London home shaped by art, travel and family life

Blenheim Terrace is a beautiful heritage home in St John’s Wood, designed for an international family whose life, travels and cultural heritage are reflected in an extraordinary collection of art, furniture and objects gathered from around the world.

Originally from Michigan and Sri Lanka, and having previously lived in Los Angeles, the family brought with them pieces from Australia, Africa, India, Sri Lanka and the United States. Rather than competing with this collection, our approach was to create an interior that would provide a considered backdrop for it, allowing the family’s story to remain at the heart of the home.

The result is a layered and deeply personal London house where heritage architecture, contemporary pieces and treasured objects sit comfortably together.

Designing around art and collected treasures

In the formal sitting room, the starting point was a large family portrait commissioned from a Spanish graffiti artist. With such a powerful piece of art dominating the room, the furniture and lighting needed to complement it rather than compete for attention.

We designed a bespoke four-metre sofa to sit beneath the portrait, using a natural base and introducing the family’s preference for autumnal colours through bespoke cushions. An Andrew Martin shagreen coffee table and large neutral rug add texture without overwhelming the room.

Bespoke stools upholstered in organic de Le Cuona fabric sit beneath brass console tables. Their curved edges soften the space, while their flexibility allows them to be used as additional seating or occasional tables when the family entertains.

A more masculine brown leather armchair introduces contrast and depth. Throughout the room, we played with shape, texture and material while keeping the window treatments deliberately simple and traditional. The art is the star, so the surrounding design needed to know when to be quiet.

The billiard room continues the story, bringing together Aboriginal art from Australia alongside pieces from India and the family’s hometown. Existing wooden chairs from India were given new bespoke seat cushions in orange Linwood cotton, finished with leather piping from Samuel & Sons. It is a small detail, but one that demonstrates how subtle combinations of fabric, texture and trimming can completely elevate a piece.

In the dining room, existing furniture and artworks were again our starting point. A red rug and tapestry from Sri Lanka sit alongside a textured natural sideboard with brass detailing, while bespoke green stools were created for the bay window. The family’s dining table and armchairs, collected through their travels, remain an important part of the room.

Even the guest cloakroom became an opportunity to celebrate the family’s personality, providing a home for a much-loved collection of handcrafted objects and wooden ducks.

Creating calm within a richly layered home

In contrast to the art-filled entertaining spaces, the principal bedroom was designed as a sanctuary.

We deliberately kept the walls free of art and focused instead on organic materials, gentle lighting and a calm colour palette. Bespoke bedside tables were designed at a generous scale to provide substantial storage, including a place to put away the children’s technology at night.

The existing oversized bed was spray-painted in a Little Greene colour to sit quietly within the new scheme, creating a restful retreat from the more visually layered rooms elsewhere in the house.

The children’s spaces were designed around their individual personalities. In the son’s bedroom, more industrial metal furniture was softened with blue and purple tones, his favourite colours, alongside a chair upholstered in blue cotton and bespoke two-tone Linwood cushions.

The hub of the family home

At basement level sits the everyday heart of the house.

The kitchen, painted in Farrow & Ball’s Elephant’s Breath, connects to a dining and homework area where we incorporated two desks for the children. This is where family life, friends and informal entertaining naturally come together, with direct access to the large garden and outdoor basketball area.

In the adjoining TV room, we created a more playful and relaxed environment for films and family time. Bespoke timber shelving provides space for the family’s extensive cookbook collection, while individual drawers give everyone somewhere to store homework and everyday belongings.

Blenheim Terrace is ultimately a home about identity. Rather than imposing a single decorative style, we created a framework in which heritage architecture, family life and objects collected across continents could coexist.

It is a London home filled not simply with beautiful things, but with pieces that carry memories, history and a sense of where this family has come from.