Look Around This Stylish South London Home

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This large five-bedroom Edwardian home, in the heart of the Streatham Lodge Conservation Area in southwest London, is home to Richard Angel, the co-founder of award-winning interior design studio Angel O’Donnell. This leafy suburb of woodlands, nature trails and formal gardens is filled with late 19th and early 20th century houses, often characterised by gabled fronts and ornate decorative details, including stained glass and carved timber. Well-loved and well-lived-in, the family home has been a sanctuary for Richard, his wife and three children. Even so, he knew its tired walls, worn furniture and oddly configured kitchen and bathrooms needed a total rethink.

The property needed an injection of colour, pattern and texture – in short, a complete aesthetic overhaul that would breathe new life and personality into the space. The aim was eclectic not uniform, considered not conspicuously designed. Richard got to work refurbishing the fireplaces with new tiles and hearths, reinvigorating the rooms with a palette of aged pink, pale toffee and ruddy red, reworking the bathrooms with bespoke vanities and walk-in showers, and treating every room to a mix of new, vintage, upcycled and custom-made furniture and window treatments. This time, he was the client – both driving the project and the one being driven.

"The hallway has always felt generous, like a large architectural hug, but after years of meeting and greeting, the off-white walls were looking drained, the fireplace a bit fusty, and the carpet worn and tired. So, we laid wooden floors, painted the walls a warm biscuit colour and restored the fireplace with glossy green finger tiles and a large stone hearth. Now when you walk through the door, the space says, ‘Welcome home.’"

Mirror: Naga Round Mirror, Liang & EmilGreen Finger Tiles: Kit Kat Fairy Tale Green Apple, Tiles-DirectTable: Late 20th Century Granite And Lucite Circular Dining Table, VinteriorArtwork: Georgia Stoneman Gallery, Abstract by Pop Art Pioneer Richard SmithSpot table: Vallarta Stool, AnthropologieChair: Lovett Chair In Cinnamon Velvet, Soho Home

"The team paired a pillowy sofa with a pair of vintage Jindrich Halabala armchairs, upholstered in fabrics of densely embroidered leaves and moss-green velvet. The sculptural swoop of the bentwood arms contrasts nicely with the softer pieces in the room. Other vintage finds include a multicoloured Moroccan Berber rug and a pair of Italian-mirrored side tables. For added pops of colour against the biscuity base palette, we created a gallery wall with collectible artworks by Julian Opie and renowned abstract painter Sir Terry Frost."

Sofa: Truman Large Sofa In Hedgerow Linen, Andrew MartinArmchairs: Jindrich Halbala Model 410 Art Deco Modernist Bentwood Armchair c.1930, VinteriorFabric: Forenza velvet in Marjoram & Chiraco in Serandite, RomoMirrored Side Table: 1970's Italian mirrored cubes, 8 Holland StreetTable Lamps: Frome lamp in Azure, Soho HomeRug: Moroccan Berber, Nain TradingLounge Chair: Ellis Chair In Pewter Mohair, Soho HomeSide Table: Lava Table In Bronze, Ecco Trading

"This whole space was redesigned to maximise storage, improve flow and create an inviting central point where the family could eat, do homework and catch up on the day's events. Again, it had to feel homely and accessible, a proper family kitchen with lovely design features, like polished stone worktops, solid wood units, sleek woven-cord seats, and a painstakingly restored Everhot stove. They even built a new mantle above the stove for a portrait of our dog Belle to sit on."

Breakfast Table: Jeanette In Oak, Kave HomeChairs: Wishbone Chairs By Carl Hansen, MobelarisDog Charcoal Portrait: Special Commission By Catherine Reed

"The walls were painted a dark chalky red, while the fireplace was subtly highlighted in a satin version of the same colour. These different surfaces – coupled with the custom-made dining table with polished granite top – absorb and reflect light in different ways, so the room is always changing from day to night. When the sun sets and the log burner is flickering, the room becomes a warm and inviting haven perfect for entertaining friends and family."

Carver Chairs: Goddard Dining Chair In Pebble Velvet, Liang & EimilDining Chairs: Hayward Chair In Fern, Soho HomeDining Table Base: Misty Base In Rustic Oak, Julian ChichesterSideboard: Frank Guille For Austin Suite 1960s, House Of TwentyConsole Tables: Luca Console Table, Graham & GreenLamps: Gannet Lamp In Pebbled Aquamarine, Visual ComfortAntler Chandelier: David Hunt LightingLog Burner: Chesneys

"We designed the half-height upholstered wall to extend the full length of the room. Doing so covers the chimney breast and levels out what can sometimes be an awkward protuberance. It also freed up the opportunity to put in a super-king bed with large bedside drawers and lamps. This custom-made feature unifies the space which, along with the putty pink walls, moss-green velvet and 60s-inspired ceiling light, feels quietly stylish and cosily inviting."

Ceiling Light: Evergreen Chandelier In Antique Brass And Opaque Glass, EichholtzBedside Lamp: Phoebe Stacked Lamp In Antiqued White Ceramic, Visual ComfortBedside Tables: Collins By Michael Berman, Theodore AlexanderHeadboard & Bed Base: Bespoke In Warwick Plush Moss VelvetArtwork: Georgia Stoneman Gallery, ‘Child I’ And ‘Mother’, Lithograph, G.W. Bot

"A complementary palette of pale grey marble, smoky blue tiles, dark moss-green tiles and dark oak visually connect the bathrooms in the house, while a bespoke bobbin mirror in this en-suite adds a playful element."

Mirror & Vanity Unit: Bespoke Design By Angel O’DonnellGreen Shower Tiles: Luminous Lime Musk Gloss Porcelain, MinoliFloor Tiles: Carrara Square Marble Mosaic Tile, Topps TilesWall Lights: Long Roddy In Nickel, PookyBrassware: Edwardian Range In Nickel, Lefroy Brooks

"All the walls, ceilings and shelves were painted in a pale leafy green. Applying one colour everywhere cleverly melts away awkward nooks and crannies. We then used an assortment of leatherbound classics and a vintage Eames chair with hot-red leather backrest and seat to provide flashes of complementary colour."

Desk: Marena Desk In Oak, Soho HomeDesk Chair: Original Charles Eames For Vitra, RetrouvisDesk Lamp: Clemente In Hand-Rubbed Antique Brass, Visual Comfort

"Playful elements abound in the loft room – from the abundant foliage of the Arts & Crafts headboard to the pleated lamp shade, striped bolster cushion, spearmint throw, and red bedside table with bobbin-like legs. These whimsical elements thrive against the cool grey walls."

Ceiling Shade: Indian Recycled Paper, Artisans & AdventurersBedside Lamp: Ellie Table Lamp With Pleated Shade, PookyBedside Table: Huxley Side Table In Brushed Red, OKAHeadboard: Bespoke In GP & J Baker Nympheus In Stone/PistachioStriped Bolster: Velvet Cushion, Christina LundsteenSideboard: Mercer In Reclaimed French Oak, Soho HomeCircular Mirror: Kristjana J Williams

"The feel-good atmosphere continues in the next bedroom with rainbow-like arches of rust velvet, sprouting flower motifs on ceramic lamps, and animated squiggles on custom-made curtains and bolster. Even the abstract artwork by Ian McKeever exudes a fun energy that unites all the seemingly disparate shapes and patterns in the room."

Bedside tables: Marcel in medium oak, Soho HomeBespoke bed: Ice velvet in terracotta, Fabric from Kirkby DesignBedside lamp: Ellie table lamp with pleated shade, PookyChair: Kemper chair in Geo bronze, Liang & EimilCurtains/Cushion: Synchronic in Black/Earth/Bleached coral, HarlequinArtwork: Georgia Stoneman Gallery, ‘Colour Etching F’, Ian McKeever

Photography: TaranWilkhu.com

Visit AngelODonnell.com. Richard's home is currently for sale. For enquiries, contact Angel O’Donnell on +44 (0) 203 488 3797.

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