Taking on the renovation of their higgledy-piggledy London home has given Mark and Sally Winstanley a chance to fuse traditional style with inspirational contemporary element

The inspirational combination of the contemporary, the classic and the antique that fills Mark and Sally Winstanley's home reflects their long-held association with the world of interior design. Mark, who originally trained as a textile designer, has worked for Laura Ashley for 18 years and is now creative director of home furnishings, while Sally is the company's senior catalogue manager. “We bought the property a couple of years ago and moved in on our first wedding anniversary,” says Mark. “The house attracted us because it has a rather mad layout, with rooms on different levels, arranged over three storeys. There are two staircases and plenty of nooks and crannies, plus a little roof terrace and a good-sized back garden.”

There was also the added attraction of an almost rural atmosphere to its leafy south London location, something they have come to appreciate since the arrival of their son Felix.
As part of a pretty 19th-century terrace that is protected by a conservation order, the house has an interesting history. Built by the American millionaire philanthropist and financier J Pierpoint Morgan, the terrace originally provided homes for the gardeners who worked on Morgan's nearby estate. By the time Mark and Sally discovered it, the house was long overdue for restoration. Having bought it, they uncovered hundreds of problems that needed to be put right, not least the updating of the kitchen that had changed little since the 1930s. “The lower ground floor, which contains the kitchen, had to be gutted and the floor dug out. What we have now is a very simple arrangement finished in natural materials,” explains Mark.

Mark and Sally have enjoyed putting their stamp on the place, but while the renovation is complete, Mark suspects that the decoration will never really be finished. “We will always be adding to it or finding space for a new thing. If you enjoy decorating, you can never resist that next purchase,” he adds. It is these purchases, particularly a clutch of contemporary paintings and an accumulation of vintage textiles, which influence the couple's style the most. In some rooms they have set them against light, bright interiors created using Jabot, a Dulux trade colour. However they have opted for deeper hues – and wallpaper – in the areas where they were confident these would work well. Honey-coloured sisal on the stairs and some of the floors has a unifying effect.

“The key to successful decorating is confidence, and taking the trouble to make connections,” says Sally. “Our work involves helping clients to develop greater confidence in how they use colour, fabric or wallpaper, and how they connect new elements with existing architectural features.”

In the sitting room, for example, Mark and Sally replaced an ugly reproduction fireplace with a painted timber surround that is much more in keeping with the simple proportions of the room. The fresh, green colour scheme was inspired by the colours in a treasured painting by Emma McClure called Going to the Park and connects nicely with the leafy view from the front window.

Another contemporary painting provided a colour cue when the couple began decorating their bedroom. “It's a portrait by R A Webb entitled Georgina, which I bought because the sitter reminds me of Sally,” says Mark. “We love its grey and plum background, which is now picked up by the silk bed quilt from Nicole Farhi that we were given as a wedding present.” Instead of curtains the couple decided to have shutters – which are designed to echo the Gothic-style arch above the window and the ceiling cornicing –made to measure by a local carpenter.

A fondness for French furnishings is evident throughout the house, but care has been taken not to develop an overly Gallic theme. In fact, all the decorative influences are delicately managed, indicating that Mark and Sally have a very subtle touch indeed. They acknowledge that they had a lucky break on the day they came across this lovely old house. “We had viewed so many that looked exactly the same. What we immediately loved about this place is its unusual character.” It is a feature that their combined efforts have done much to enhance.

FEBRUARY 2005
WORDS ANNE ARMSTRONG
PHOTOGRAPHS EDINA VAN DER WYCK