With equal measures of traditional touches and imaginative ideas, Amandine and Julien’s period home feels completely cutting edge
STYLING & WORDS Mary Weaver
LIVING ROOM
‘We broke the rules by having a dark ceiling and white walls. It’s a simple way of making a strong impact,’ says Amandine.
EXTERIOR
The outside of the property was painstakingly restored with bold shades that give an 89 indication of what lies behind
As their names suggest, Amandine and Julien Vanhaesebroucke are French born and bred but when they found their dream west London Victorian terrace house two years ago, top of the list was to honour its heritage and big up its British roots.
Having already lived in the neighbourhood for 10 years, the couple and their two boys, Gabriel and Camille, have come to love ‘le style Anglais’. ‘Our design mantra for the house was eclectic, cosy and playful, a modern take on how people here restore period properties,’ says Amandine, who works in a French school. ‘It had to be warm and inviting for friends of ours and the boys, and have plenty of storage for family paraphernalia, too.’ Plus accommodate their art – Julien, who works in finance, is a big collector.
As a recently renovated townhouse by McLaren Excell architects, it ticked all the boxes. ‘We were too busy for the upheaval of building work and all that entails but we very much wanted to put our own stamp on the home,’ says Amandine. The family moved in at the beginning of lockdown so they had plenty of time to get to know the house before deciding on how to reshape it. ‘We realised how lucky we were that it came with two home offices,’ she says.
Amandine met French/British designer Céline Erlam of Indie & Co because their husbands knew each other. ‘Céline and I had an instant rapport, which eliminated a lot of the stress,’ she says.
The brief was for a super-speedy turnaround in terms of getting the work done. ‘We took the boys to France for the summer holidays and gave Céline six weeks to have the crucial elements in place – which was pushing it, but, thankfully for us, it happened!’ Then it took another six weeks for furniture and furnishings to be installed.
After coming up with a concept to suit the ‘vibrant, fun and family-friendly brief’, Céline and her team presented Amandine with options for each decision – from paint colours and extra storage to wallpaper, armchairs and accessories. ‘We knew we were in safe hands because we trusted her style and taste so it was easy to make decisions,’ says Amandine.
‘Céline was brilliant at injecting colour with easy yet effective i
