Edwardian townhouse transformed

Naomi and Liam McNamara renovated this Edwardian property in London. Their efforts and individual style, reflecting their varied travels, earned their home Best Townhouse in our Readers' Awards 2009.

Parents of two, Naomi and Liam McNamara bought this Edwardian town house knowing it needed only a few improvements before it would be perfect. 'It had all the space we needed,' says Naomi. 'The kitchen had been extended into a former outbuilding, and a small conservatory had been added that would make an ideal playroom for the children.

‘Upstairs, there was a good-sized double bedroom and two smaller rooms; and the loft had been nicely converted into a master suite. Structurally, the original parts of the house were in fairly good order and the new additions had been done well. But the decorating scheme hadn’t really been touched since the 1980s. We felt we could bring out the original character while freshening it up.’

The renovation began with specialists brought in to work on repairs to the roof, and updates on the electrics and plumbing. Meanwhile, Liam and Naomi stripped, treated and patched the doors and floorboards, with the help of Liam’s father. He also restored the wooden sash windows, including waxing the internal pulley system.

With the bare bones of the house restored, a neutral colour palette was chosen to complement the existing features. These include a beautiful panelled ceiling in the sitting room, Edwardian fireplaces with jewel-coloured tiling, cornices and picture rails.

Naomi was also thrilled to inherit an original fitted dresser in the kitchen. She recalls: ‘It was already stripped, so I just gave it a distressed paint finish. I then chose simple, inexpensive Shaker style base units from B&Q for food storage and a built-in fridge and freezer. I did invest in solid oak worktops and more expensive handles, however. The kitchen’s open plan from the dining room so it’s important that the space is attractive as well as functional. Rather than choosing cupboards for the walls, I decided on pantry-style shelving to display all my glasses and tea sets. To keep costs down, though, I asked the carpenters to make them from MDF. Painted, they look as good as solid wood.’

Read about the restoration of an Edwardian house in Carmarthenshire...

FEATURE NAOMI JONES STYLING SIAN WILLIAMS PHOTOGRAPHS BRENT DARBY
Featured in the November 2009 issue of Period Living