Highly personal colour choices helped Andrew and Cara Pazdon make their first house together feel like home
FEATURE ALISON GIBB
SITTING ROOM
Curved lines and fresh colours, combined with a convivial seating arrangement, have ensured this welcoming room a joy to entertain in.
HOME TRUTHS
THE PROPERTY Semi-detached house, built in 1920
ROOMS Sitting room, kitchen-diner, utility room, study, cloakroom, four bedrooms, dressing room, bathroom
LOCATION West London
Cara and Andrew bought their west London home wanting more space for their two cats, Calvin and Grant. ‘We had been living very centrally in London,’ Cara shares, ‘and although it was great to be able to walk to Buckingham Palace, we knew we wanted a garden.’
Cara had spotted the work of interior designer Sean Symington online and immediately fell in love with an image of his cockapoo on a coral sofa. ‘I love coral and realised he was the designer for us,’ she laughs. ‘We engaged him sharply after we moved in as we quickly realised we had too many ideas and needed a professional to focus them,’ Andrew says.
‘The house was in good condition and structurally sound when we moved in, but it felt cold,’ he explains. ‘The colour palette was all greys and stones, and we wanted our house to feel homely.’ Sean set about skilfully weaving together Cara’s favourite shades of corals and mustards with Andrew’s preferred blues and greens, not an easy combination but the results are delightful. Sean has added pattern as well with wallpaper and fabrics in bold, unexpected designs that Andrew and Cara would never have considered without his guidance.
Works of art also received the Sean treatment, and he placed much of the couple’s collection in a stunning gallery wall above the dining table which tells so many stories of them as a couple and of their families. ‘We are delighted with the way Sean has mixed old and new,’ explains Cara. ‘He has reupholstered some dining chairs that belonged to my great-grandparents. He did the same with several vintage armchairs that we bought on eBay as well and brought them all to life again.’
SITTING ROOM
Sean has skilfully incorporated all the couple’s favourite colours in this room, creating a cosy scheme that perfectly reflects the personalities of the owners and feels warm, vibrant and inviting.
BREAKFAST AREA
The kitchen is beautifully fitted in dark wooden cabinetry and opens to both a comfortable breakfast area and a dining space overlooking the garden.
