Who lives here?
Athina Bluff, an interior designer, lives here with her partner Theo McInnes, a photographer.
For Athina Bluff and her partner Theo McInnes, an upside to not going out during lockdown was that they were able to make the final push to save for a deposit and buy their first home – a one-bedroom ground-floor flat in a converted Victorian terrace in Brixton, South London.
WHAT KIND OF PROPERTY WERE YOU LOOKING FOR?
‘We’d been renting a one-bed in London and wanted to stay close to the centre but also live within a nice community,’ says Athina. ‘We saw the flat listing online and liked the idea of living in a converted Victorian house because of its character.’
‘The property was empty when we looked around and very run-down. Immediately, I could see us living here, in a beautiful home with high ceilings and gorgeous period details.’
WHAT MADE THIS FLAT STAND OUT FROM THE OTHERS YOU LOOKED AT?
‘I’m an interior designer at Topology Interiors, and we provide space planning as one of our services. I could see potential in repurposing the draughty lean-to into a home office, and I also decided to knock down the wall between the kitchen and living room.’
‘Open-plan living is a good way to add value to a property as well as creating a feeling of space in a small flat. Being on the ground floor was a bonus too, as we have a small courtyard that’s perfect for our dog.’
HOW DID THE BUILDING WORK GO?
‘I was lucky to be able to use my build team, who spent six months fitting my project around work for my clients. We also had a major damp problem in the bedroom, which had to be resolved quickly to satisfy the mortgage lender.’
‘We also replaced the kitchen and bathroom, stripped back all the walls and re-did all the electrics. A local estate agent told us the home office has added the most value because lots of one-bedroom buyers also need somewhere to be able to work from home.’
IS THERE A CROSSOVER WITH YOUR INTERIORS AT HOME AND AT WORK?
‘One constant is my love of muted, earthy, relaxed neutrals. Everyone who visits says our flat is very Soho Home – lots of rich fabrics and textures, mixing old and new, but still calm and pared back. It’s a look many clients are drawn to.’
WHAT’S BEEN THE BEST OUTCOME?
‘Owning the flat with Theo means I’m no longer frustrated and limited in what I can do. It’s been such a privilege to do this project, and I love our home. I don’t feel the need to swap furniture out or move things around like I might have done previously. We feel very settled here.’
After years of being an interior designer, I’m so happy to finally have our own home and the freedom to decorate exactly as we wanted.
Living room
‘This my favourite room, I love the high ceilings and the period details we were able to bring back into play,’ says Athina.
‘Knocking down the wall between here and the kitchen was the best decision as it’s given us a lovely open-plan space and added value to the flat without spending a huge amount of money.’
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Kitchen
‘I doubled the storage by knocking into the chimney breast and adding a sink run. The cabinet carcasses are Howden and our builder made the doors.’
‘I wanted walnut shelves and the alcove was the perfect place as the rustic finish breaks up the fitted kitchen look,’ says Athina. ‘They recess snugly and don’t block access through to the home office.’
‘The newly open kitchen and living room needed to blend together, so I used the same wall paint colour, ceiling lights and flooring.’
‘I’m at my happiest in here because the colour is calming, everything has its place and isn’t crowded with wall cupboards. I fitted a cold-water tap on this side of the room to make it easier to fill pans on the hob.’
Home office
‘We renovated the lean-to by replacing the plastic roof with an amazing glass one and putting in insulation. Slatted wall cladding adds interest. The space leads onto our courtyard garden.’
Bedroom
‘I start every room with a statement piece and build the scheme up from there.’
‘I invested in a gorgeous bed from Loaf. I love the shape and the minty blue velvet headboard, which ties in with the green panelling and contrasts with the rust velvet cushions.’
‘I really love the Hoxton Hotel, and this became the style inspiration for the boutique look with vintage furniture and designed lighting.’
Bathroom
‘I’d been coveting the glossy green tiles for a while; they were on my list of must-haves. They look glam with the black fixtures and hung vertically add height to the room.’
I’d been saving ‘dream home’ ideas, but being immersed in interiors, it was hard to choose for myself sometimes
Shop the look
Jackson Large Right Hand Chaise sofa in Sage Aquaclean Oxford
Riseborough shelving unit in Anthracite with Glass Shelves
Édité Bosie Ozella Natural And Terracotta Cushion
My whole home is decorated in beiges, creams and soft greens because I can’t live with strong colours
FOCUS ON Neutral decor
Follow Athina’s tips on how to make the neutral look work for instant relaxation when you walk through the door
- FIND YOUR PALETTE Layer paint with a tonal family of darks and lights – taupe, beige, stone, creams. Or use graduating shades of the same colour, like those in Little Greene’s paint range – Athina’s go-to for walls is Portland Stone Pale. Pick the right undertone for light and mood – yellow adds warmth, lilac and blues are cool. Lick highlights this in its colour charts.
- KEEP IT SIMPLE To hold onto that calm, pared-back feeling in a room, pick one statement piece with colour. Stick to soft tones and small patterns to keep the mood cohesive. Athina chose a pale green velvet sofa, a minty green bed, and Lick’s Beige 04 for its sophisticated warmth on the kitchen units.
- MATERIALS AND TEXTURES Layer in small furniture and furnishings in a mix of rustic wood, smooth metal, cool marble, reeded glass, rough jute, relaxed linen, soft velvet, to give neutral schemes a dynamic look.
- PLANTS A weave of leafy tonal greens brings a neutral backdrop to life. Go for a mix of large pot plants for a big burst of colour with table-top plants for height and depth. Choose real or faux, but make sure they look authentic.
Visit @topologyinteriors to see more of Athina’s work.
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