Serial renovator Michelle Hagemeier has a knack for mixing lots of styles to make one harmonious look
SITTING ROOM
Positioned close to the window, a fringed chaise longue and a dramatic, tactile pendant form a natural pause point.
HOMETRUTHS
A four-storey Victorian terrace
Sitting room, kitchen-diner, snug, office, cloakroom, three bedrooms, two bathrooms
West London
GARDEN
Country florals paired with nubby grasscloth wall coverings; inky tones and plush textiles with design-led prints. The home of Kentucky-born Michelle Hagemeier and her German husband Jan reveals the eclectic imprint of a well-travelled family, yet every element co-exists easily, resulting in a space that is tactile, cocooning and adventurous in equal measure.
The couple’s Victorian villa in west London may share the same slim multi-storey configuration as its neighbouring terraces, but behind its classic front door lies confident design choices. Interiors fuse contemporary detailing, mid-century elements and an American preference for colour and pattern – with a sprinkling of English country style for good measure.
Michelle, a seasoned renovator, and Jan lived in this house for a year with their daughter Lilli, now 13, before undertaking a renovation. ‘It was a good opportunity to see how its bones settled around us,’ says Michelle.
Accustomed to large spaces and lateral living, Michelle’s initial plan had been to buy a period maisonette. But at the eleventh hour, this terrace, with its elegant mouldings and generous windows, persuaded her otherwise. Though the couple virtually gutted the interior in order to refresh the building’s steel reinforcements, they didn’t unduly alter the layout. ‘We started anew to tackle structural issues, but we respected the internal configuration,’ says Michelle. The lower ground was dug a little deeper to accommodate a kitchen and snug; the ground floor preserved its flow of double sitting room; the first floor was turned over to a main suite, while further bedrooms and two bathrooms were added to the top storey.
When it comes to the interiors, the couple’s preferences diverged, with Jan favouring classic schemes and Michelle drawn to more contemporary spaces featuring the odd colour or pattern clash. Their first thought was to hire an interior designer to bridge that gap, but realising that ‘there is no one arbiter of taste’, Michelle took up the mantle.
The result is a home that perfectly balances
