Before and After: A Rundown Flat Becomes A Stylish London Pad

When you see pictures of a beautiful home it's hard to imagine the blood, sweat and tears behind the renovation - especially when the result exudes effortless charm. When Natasha Barry renovated House of Clay, a 3000 sq ft white stucco house in Islington, London not only was it a complete gut job, she also gave birth one month into the build! Imagine?! I'm pretty sure I was wondering around in a complete daze until my girls were at least 6 months old - I certainly wasn't working on projects of this magnitude! This one-bedroom flat occupies the House of Clay top floor and has been carefully restored to ensure original features such as the wood beams, floorboards and attic windows are intact and play a central role in the contemporary look and finish. I couldn't resist throwing in some 'before' and 'during' shots, so you can appreciate the total transformation!

Before

After



Tiles - Claybrook Studio, Tap - Devol Kitchens, Kitchen - Howdens, Handles - Buster & Punch 

The window frames have been painted in Studio Green from Farrow & Ball.





Before

After



Abstract Cubism* - print, lamp - Soho Home, sofa - Arlo & Jacob

Bedroom before

After




Bed - Habitat, Light fixture - Wo & We





Before

After

Although there aren't many of them, the 'before' pictures are perfect for showing just how far this apartment has come (especially the kitchen being converted to a bedroom)! Quite incredible.

I particularly love the kitchen (the handles are amazing!) - and the bathroom.

I also feel like I have a whole new source book for London!

Is there anything that stood out to you?

See more pictures from House of Clay here - and good news if you're looking for somewhere to stay in London, it's available to rent through The Plum Guide.

If you love a before and after as much as I do, don't miss these transformations too:

A dated Georgia house gets the Scandi treatment
a 1950s danish house gets a fabulous make-over
A drab Cape Town interior becomes a warm and cosy cottage

Vi ses imorgon! 

Niki

Photography: Anna Stathaki 
Styling: Rebecca Wakefield 

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Before & After: A Dated LA House Becomes A Light & Airy Family Home

Why, hello there! I'm in Landskrona today filming and its BAKING (by Sweden standards at least) - but since the film is about natural light, it's all good! I can't wait to share the result with you soon. In the meantime, I thought I'd stop by to share the beautiful home of Molly Madfis. A perfect blend of amber, caramel, cream and white, Molly's style appears completely effortless. But just one glance at the before pictures and you'll see how much effort has gone into making this beautiful home.  Originally from Massachusetts, Molly is a work-at-home Mum and lives in LA with her husband Gideon, son Arlo and their three cats Bodhi, Lucy and Rocky. Molly frequently shares pictures of their home on instagram and her blog Almost Makes Perfect, so called because she feels she's never been able to do anything perfectly. When you see her home though, I'm sure you'll beg to differ! Enjoy the tour!

Sitting Room BEFORE

I couldn't find all the 'before' pictures for this house, but the ones I did find are proof that this home has been given one major refresh! Here's what the sitting room and entrance looked like before the renovation: 

Sitting room AFTER

Check out how deep that sofa from Interior Define is! I'd climb on, curl up and stay there all week if I could, fancy joining me?! 

Also seen: round cushion*, coffee table from cb2

Molly created the artwork over the dining table, and sells a similar print in her shop. 

Playroom BEFORE

This before picture shows how much they had to strip back in order to turn the house into the lovely family home it is today.

Playroom AFTER

Look at Arlo's cheeky grin - *heart melts*.

Someone's very proud of his room (and for good reason, too!).

Ikea cot,  mobile by electric sun creatives.

There are so many lovely things in Molly and Gideon's bedroom - but that Moroccan flatweave rug by Sarah Sherman Samuel (there's also a cushion* to match) and Odara throw have to be my favourites! 

I also spot a Sunset Vibes* print by Loulou Avenue. 

Bathroom BEFORE

Kind of dated, right?! 

Bathroom AFTER

Look closely and you'll see the new waaaay fresher bathroom has the same bones / layout as the original bathroom, but boy does it look different. And so pretty too with the lighter wood and hints of pink, don't you think?

Wall sconce from Triple Seven Home, handmade taps from Watermark Designs, sinks from Nood

I couldn't resist sharing a few pictures of the garden too, mainly because of the children's playhouse. I've never seen one like this before, have you? DIY idea perhaps? 

It's unbelievable how much inspiration can be taken from one home!

I hope you've got some ideas for your own home from this tour. 

Right, better get on with the filming (I need to concentrate, it's in Swedish - gulp!). 

Ha det fint! 

Niki

Photography: Molly Madfis / Almost Makes Perfect shared with kind permission

*affiliate links

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Before And After: A Californian Mountain Living Room Gets A Scandi Makeover

I had the pleasure of working with American interior stylist and blogger extraordinaire Emily Henderson on a greenhouse make-over in Upstate New York exactly two years ago (funny how time flies, it feels like only yesterday!). In the minibus back to our hotel one evening Emily excitedly told me about a 1960s mountain fixer-upper she had just bought in Lake Arrowhead, an hour and a half from LA. I was really curious to see what she'd do with it. You can imagine how excited I was to learn a little later that she'd gone for a Scandi theme! Yay! Long may this 'Scandifornian' trend continue! I've been eagerly following the renovation process and last week the house was finally completed. Short of posting the entire house (tempting but would probably make the Guinness Book of Records), I thought I'd share the before and after pictures from the sitting room since it sets the scene for the rest of the home and strikes a delicate balance between light and airy and super cosy. Let's take a peek. 

Before

Are those wall-to-wall carpets I see? The soft layer no doubt feels super cosy to walk on, but we all know that in the world of Scandinavia design a wall-to-wall carpet is an absolute no-no! 

Another thing that stood out: the bannisters. Decorative cast iron bannisters might have a place in a more traditional home (especially in warmer regions), but in Scandinavia it's all about the clean lines and simplicity! You can also catch a glimpse of the kitchen in this picture - imprint the image on your mind, we'll come back to it in the after pictures! 

Seeing these before shots, there's no denying that the space has great bones and interesting architecture. But it was in need of a little TLC. And that's exactly what Emily and her team gave it. Let's take a peek at the after pictures...

After

It really is amazing how much lighter and airier it feels with a wood floor and rug instead of a wall-to-wall carpet. And look at that floor to ceiling banister?! Love it! 

Holiday homes are all about the lounging - and I have a feeling that low, deep vintage sofa (from Gallery 7 / chairish) would be hard to get out of come Sunday night! Love the soft grey shade and seams too! 

Layers of texture give the room warmth - which is especially important when you've opted for a neutral colour scheme. There are so many different materials at work here - from wool and cotton to marble, wood, leather and stone. 

Remember the bubble rock stones on the fireplace in the before pictures? They are still there but hidden under a layer of light plaster, hence the more subtle finish, yet still lovely and raw finish. 

Olivia coffee table*, The Esters wood rocking chair* (out of shot), knitted pouf*, Performance Elder Rug

Remember that kitchen shot earlier in this post? It's no secret that Scandinavian's love open-plan living spaces and by removing the kitchen wall in this room, the space opens up in a whole new way - allowing natural light to reach the darkest of corners.

Large white sheepskin rug*, vintage mango wood table from Chairish, these leather and wood bar stools* are similar to the ones seen. 

What a transformation! 

It just goes to show what you can do to a space with a little TLC (and no doubt a LOAD of hard graft!). 

Is there anything you love in particular?

You can read more about the Mountain House here. 

Oh and check out more inspiring before and afters here (one of my favourites has to be the converted welding plant - so incredible!). 

Ha så fint!

Niki

Photography: Sara Ligorria-Tramp - shared with kind permission. 

*Affiliate links

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Before And After: A Drab Cape Town Interior Becomes A Warm And Cosy Cottage

When Cape Town based wedding photographers Bruce and Rebecca first acquired the charmingly named Sunbird cottage in 2016, the interior was drab, dark and dated (like what I did there with the 'd's?). Working with a relatively small budget, the pair scoured the market for second hand and overstocked items and carried out a huge amount of the renovation work themselves. The one investment they make was employing the services of architect Donne Atkinson - which was tantamount to realising their vision. Other than that, Bruce project managed the build and once the main construction was completed, he carried out a lot of the finished himself with the help of friends. Needless to say, the overall finish is warm, cosy and personal. I hope you enjoy the before and after pictures as much as I did!

How lovely is this parquet worktop? It's making me question my choice of marble for the cottage kitchen renovation. I love the patina!

This corner is so lovely and personal. And look at all those CDs! We still have a load in one of our cupboards too - they hold so many memories. Have you saved yours? 

Opening up the ceiling has helped flood the space with light and added a load of character. I also love the faded kilim. 

In a relatively small space (the ground floor is 70 metres square / 753 square foot) spiral staircases are a great option. I also like how a series of shelves on the upper level shield the bedroom from view. 

The pair added the round window which has become a wonderful focal point above the bed. 

Wow! Such a wonderful transformation. They have given the cottage a whole new lease of life. It can certainly bear the name 'sunbird cottage' with pride now, don't you think?

Is there anything that stood out to you?  

If you're into renovation work as much as I am, you can always explore the archives for more before and afters and home makeovers this weekend (as always, if this home pops up first just scroll past!). 

I hope you have a wonderful couple of days - see you Monday friends!

Skål! 

Niki

Photography: Sarah and Bruce - shared with kind permission and found via Miss Moss with thanks. 

PS Thank you so much for all your input into my summer cottage kitchen plans yesterday, really appreciate it. It's not too late to weigh in! 

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