Cobham, Surrey
Transforming a Classically-Designed Home
Brief: Create an elegant yet personal interior across 14 rooms that reflects the clients’ unique style, blending classical charm with modern sensibility.
Style: Timeless and layered, with traditional undertones uplifted by modern warmth and refined detailing.
Services: Full design service including concept development and moodboards, bespoke lighting and electrical plans, joinery design and installation, and sourcing and supplying all FF&E (furniture, fixtures, and equipment).
A Grand Canvas
Nestled in leafy Cobham, Surrey, this classically designed property offered generous proportions, high ceilings, and beautiful architectural bones, but it lacked depth, warmth, and a sense of personal style. Although only five years old, the house had never truly been lived in and felt more like a blank slate than a sanctuary.
My clients, having recently relocated from a Victorian townhouse in South West London, were ready for a new chapter. Drawn to the home’s classical elegance, they needed support in transforming it into a space that felt deeply personal, warm, welcoming, and filled with subtle character.
Creating Purposeful Spaces
The brief was to reimagine 14 rooms and craft a cohesive identity throughout. Each space needed to stand on its own while contributing to a unified whole. From designing children’s bedrooms built to last, to expressive living areas, a functional study, and a dramatic guest WC, we approached every room with care and intention.
One of the main challenges was to infuse personality without disrupting the classical elegance of the architecture. We worked with a palette and materials that honoured the home’s foundations while introducing warmth, interest, and contrast through colour, texture, and bespoke detailing.
Joinery and Lighting
Throughout the house, bespoke joinery was used not only for practicality but also as a defining design feature, framing rooms, creating rhythm, and shaping the overall architecture of each space.
Lighting was also key. We implemented a flexible, layered lighting scheme—bright and functional during the day, then soft and atmospheric in the evenings—allowing the mood of each room to evolve with its use.
Room-by-Room Highlights
Entrance Hallway
Staircase and seating
Seating, table and modern art
Staircase and door to Living Room
Staircase with chandeliers
Staircase with chandeliers
Chandeliers
Chandelier
Chandeliers
Stairs
Stairs
Stairs
Your hallway should be the prologue to your home. This grand, triple-height space needed impact, a wow factor. We introduced three stunning chandeliers to draw the eye upward into the open stairwell, along with subtle panelling to amplify the sense of elegance. Layered lighting, curated modern art, and stylish, warm-toned chairs created a welcoming and relaxed atmosphere.
Dining Room
Table and chair detail
Dining table and chairs
Seating detail
Mirror, lamp and artwork
A large inherited dining table was the centrepiece here. We added a large bespoke statement antique mirror to reflect light and enhance the sense of space and drama, particularly in the evenings. Modern dining chairs and a statement chandelier brought contemporary contrast, elevating the room while keeping it grounded in tradition.
Formal Living Room
Main seating zone with Persian rug
Fireplace and main lighting
Main seating zone
Seating, glass table and Persian rug
Main seating zone with fireplace
Games zone
Cushions
A light-filled room
Fireplace, seating and glass table
Games corner
Seating detail
Curtain detail
Cushion fabric
Backgammon
Mantelpiece and artworks
Modern art
We designed this generous, light-filled room for entertaining. To increase seating and purpose, we zoned the space. We added a statement chandelier, soft wall panelling, and a furniture layout anchored around a cherished Persian rug. Glass coffee tables allowed the rug’s detail to shine through while maintaining an open, airy feel. We also introduced a games corner for backgammon and casual conversation.
Study
Bespoke storage and inherited rug
Storage detail
Seating and bespoke storage
Desk detail
Seating and rug
The original layout felt flat and cold. We redesigned the space to include a bespoke display cabinet with a subtle gold inlay, hidden storage, and integrated lighting. A motorised, bespoke desk offers flexible working, and an inherited rug adds warmth and personality. The result is a calm, functional room that invites focus while remaining comfortable and approachable.
Kitchen
Durable, yet luxurious fabrics
Seating for everyday life and entertaining
Banquette seating
While the kitchen layout had been designed before my involvement, we added banquette seating, statement lighting, and soft furnishings to create a sense of intimacy and zoning. Durable yet luxurious fabrics and a palette that connected with the rest of the home allowed this space to feel elegant and purposeful, ideal for both everyday family life and entertaining.
Utility Room & Boot Room
Bootroom fabric
Bespoke bootroom joinery
Utility room with bespoke joinery
Utility room
Door handle detail
These hardworking spaces are designed to be both practical and joyful. A burst of colour, patterned fabrics, and herringbone tiles brought them to life. The bespoke boot room joinery features hooks and concealed storage for coats, bags, and shoes, making daily routines smoother with everything in its place.
Guest WC
Opulence to surprise and delight
Mirror detail
Making a small space memorable
Pink stone sink against luxurious green wallpaper
We wanted to surprise and delight. A pink stone basin, elegant brass taps, and a richly patterned green wallpaper create unexpected drama. A gold-painted ceiling adds another layer of opulence, reflecting light and amplifying the overall effect: making this small space truly memorable.
Cloakroom
Light spills over seating
Bespoke joinery, mirror and chair
Bespoke joinery, detail
We wanted to give our clients more than just coat storage, so we elevated the space with custom joinery featuring gold inlays, soft, calming colours, textured wallpaper, and a large mirror to bounce light and provide a final check before stepping out.
Master Bedroom Suite
Master bedroom
Bespoke headboard and mirror
Seating area with swivel chair
Fabric and rug detail
A vast space with garden views, we reconfigured the layout to take full advantage of the outlook. A bespoke upholstered headboard with antique mirrored panels became the focal point. We complemented it with textured wallpaper and elegant soft furnishings. A dedicated seating area with swivel chairs invites quiet moments of relaxation. Our design evokes a sense of calm and gentle luxury.
Boy’s Bedroom
As an avid reader, the young occupant required smart storage and a personal touch. We designed a custom floor-to-ceiling bookcase with a ladder for access and display, as well as a flexible desk space that can evolve and adapt. Integrated lighting and shelving for LEGO added fun and functionality to a space that can grow with him.
Boy's bedroom
Boy's bedroom: bespoke joinery and desk
Girl's bedroom
Girl’s Bedroom
A playful and charming headboard shaped like bunny ears acts as the focal point—designed with adaptability in mind. As she grows, the ears can be removed and the headboard reupholstered, ensuring the room matures along with her. For now, it’s a sweet and imaginative space for a little girl to dream in.
Designing and bringing this beautiful interior to fruition
I’d like to share with you some of our process.
Before
Before: An empty living space with a fireplace
Before: One end of the living room
Before: Empty living room with fireplace and stripped walls
Before: Empty living space with stripped walls
Before Study: The builders' tools have arrived
Before: The empty Master Suite
Before Games room soon to be playroom
Before: Main stairway, looking up
Before: The open-plan kitchen and living space
Before: Downstairs guest WC
Before: Unutilized cloakroom
Before: Children's Bedroom
Before: Dining Room
Before: An unused room, looking towards two windows
Before: Amy photographing an ensuite bathroom
Before: Empty Utility Room
Before: Utility room
Before: A different view of the utility room
Early stages
Designs for bespoke furniture
Colour swatches for Guest WC
Mood board presentation
Mood board example for formal Sitting Room
Mood Board example for Master Bedroom
Mood board example for Study
Fabric swatches for Cinema Curtain
Our design for a bespoke bookcase for a childs room shown onscreen
Materials stacked in the entrance hall
Starting work on the panelling we designed for the Living Room walls
The transformation starts. This view, with the fireplace
Adding interest to an interior wall with the use of panelling for the dining room
Installation
Installing achandeliers
Installing the luxurious chandeliers in the entrance hall and stairway
Part of the main staircase with the panelling we designed installed
A beautiful mirror installed within the panelling adds interest to the Dining Room
Bespoke joinery and lighting in the Study
Finishing the parquet flooring
Cushion fabric detail in the main cloakroom
A luxurious shower and flooring for staff
Progress in the master bedroom, building a bespoke headboard and surround - waiting for the mirrored panels.
A bespoke design for a child's headboard
Finally a home
Now complete, this home is a masterclass in balance: striking yet serene, traditional yet current, tailored yet lived-in. Each room tells a story and contributes to a whole that’s cohesive and characterful.
What was once a grand but impersonal house is now a warm, deeply personal home: full of energy, beauty, and ease. It has been a true pleasure to bring this vision to life and witness how thoughtful design can transform not only a space but also the way it’s experienced and enjoyed every day.