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When interior designer Lizzie Green bought her house in south London in the spring of 2020, she inherited a few unwanted “extras,” like old mattresses and even a toilet in the bedroom. “We had to get rid of everything before we could begin,” she recalls. In desperate need of modernization, phase one of her renovation involved taking the walls back to brick, stripping the floors, updating the plumbing, and re-wiring throughout. “We lived in a drywall shell for a year. I laid down a load of rugs and we had lamps dotted around,” says Green, who lives here with her husband Sam, a teacher, and their three-year-old son Leo. Living in demolition limbo didn’t bother her though. “I just remember feeling so happy that we had this house,” she adds.
Busy with other projects, Green didn’t have the luxury of time to dwell on her own decor choices. And given that her budget didn’t exactly match up to those of her clients, she had to get creative. Here, the Londoner shares how she achieved an eye-catching look without breaking the bank.
A Mood-Boosting Kitchen
The designer opted for a high-low approach with the kitchen, choosing budget-friendly cabinet frames from Howdens (the fronts of which are sprayed in Bridge Blue by Mylands). “But it felt so important to have that one ‘wow’ feature in there,” she says. An Arabescato viola marble worktop was her splurge piece. “It elevates the space in a way that I don’t think a cool light could have done,” she justifies.
A Dining Nook with a View
Reinstating the wooden box-sash windows happened in phase two of the renovation in 2021. By positioning the dining table in the bay it brought two advantages: tons of natural light, and better use of space (it was formerly part of the living room). Cafe curtains offer privacy without blocking the light. “The initial idea was to put a banquette into the bay and we might still do that at a later stage,” says Green. Props to her mom, a professional seamstress, who made the thermal-lined curtains.
A Light and Airy Living Room
Extending the back room eight feet created an airy living space which opens out to the garden. The architect’s original plans involved adding just a few Velux skylights, which Green scrapped in favor of a run of pitched glazing. “It maximizes the south-facing light and stops the kitchen, which is in the middle of the ground floor, from feeling dark,” she explains.”
Her low-lift sweet spot is layering pops of pink or sky blue with pillows in soft pastels, painted picture frames, and abstract artworks. For a clean backdrop, she stuck with Wimborne White by Farrow & Ball as her main wall color.
A Nod to the Outdoors
The arched nook opposite the sectional is one of the house’s few original remaining features. Green gave it a newfound purpose by adding shelving and cupboards where she can stash Leo’s toys. Almost five years on, she’s still in love with the terracotta flooring she chose for the space. “It creates a sort of orangery vibe that’s a bit outdoorsy and rustic,” she says. Bonus: it emits warmth from the underfloor heating for much longer than a porcelain tile.
A Bit of Fantasy
Leo’s room features a charming, hand-painted mural by decorative artist Queenie Ingrams depicting Peter Rabbit and Jemima Puddle Duck. “She was in there for a week bringing it to life!” says Green. Tying in with the botanical curtains downstairs, the scene brings the home’s subtle woodland theme full circle.
A Backdrop for Bath Time
One of the first rooms Green attacked was the bathroom, and for an important reason: she loves a good soak. “We squeezed the biggest tub we could get in there,” she laughs. Lacking the funds for a tile backsplash, she covered the half-wall in battens and painted them herself. “It’s a really effective way of adding texture,” she says.
A Storage Compromise
In her bedroom, Green cherishes a framed beach photograph from Australia, where she and Sam lived for a time. The tallboy was an inexpensive eBay score which she later saw on 1stDibs for thousands of pounds. Although she often prefers floor-to-ceiling cabinets over freestanding storage, she has no plans to swap this find out: “Furniture gives you a surface to put stuff on, and I need that,” she says.