Worlds Best Homes

Design house: See inside an imaginative Chelsea townhouse with unique design flourishes

Discover the trompe l'oeil hallway mural and faux marble bath...

Chelsea townhouse
(Image credit: Violet & George)

This stunning Chelsea townhouse project showcases how a clever mix of print, pattern, bespoke furniture and artwork can bring a property to life. 

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The house’s New York-based owner tapped interior design studio Violet & George to create the high-style yet homely London pad.

Chelsea townhouse

(Image credit: Violet & George)

The house perfectly blends formal and informal spaces, with a cosy study and a chic library offering stylish reading retreats. Design-wise, the spaces are traditional yet kept modern with colorful contemporary prints on soft furnishings.

Chelsea townhouse

(Image credit: Violet & George)

Many rooms in the house exhibit this masterful mix of old and new style, with the master bedroom pairing floral vallances with a faux marble backdrop.

Chelsea townhouse

(Image credit: Violet & George)

Chelsea townhouse

(Image credit: Violet & George)

The sociable, warm kitchen/dining space boasts cottagecore sage green walls and is given a luxe feel with the addition of a marble-topped kitchen island. Statement artwork, meanwhile, adds a sense of grandeur to the room.

Chelsea townhouse

(Image credit: Violet & George)
  • See: Kitchen ideas – decor and decorating ideas for all kitchens 

Chelsea townhouse

(Image credit: Violet & George)

The Georgian townhouse is reasonably small in stature but sizeable in design savvy. 

Explaining the process, Violet & George said: ‘Conceptualized, created and installed before actually meeting the client face-to-face, this was a project managed and approved via email and Skype. 

'Our client was based in New York and the only definite direction we had from her was to stay "traditional". The rest was up to us. 

‘With such latitude and creative generosity, it’s easy to indulge your own individual taste, but we roamed within reason and nailed her brief with every suggestion. The result is a comfortable, exquisitely detailed bolt hole in one of London’s most desirable locations.'

Chelsea townhouse

(Image credit: Violet & George)

Chelsea townhouse

(Image credit: Violet & George)

The design house continued: ‘Our work was essentially an entire fit-out that included designing and installing joinery, new lighting, furniture, rugs, and soft furnishings. We also explored a variety of window treatments and a range of different paint effects including trompe l’oeil, faux marble and textured lacquering.'

Chelsea townhouse

(Image credit: Violet & George)

Chelsea townhouse

(Image credit: Violet & George)

‘We commissioned bespoke furniture, replaced the bathrooms and after the work was completed, accompanied the owner to select complementary works of art.’

Chelsea townhouse

(Image credit: Violet & George)

Chelsea townhouse

(Image credit: Violet & George)

Visit Violet and George for a luxury interior design service.

Contributing Editor

Ruth Doherty is an experienced digital writer and editor specializing in interiors, travel and lifestyle. With 20 years of writing for national sites under her belt, she’s worked for the likes of Livingetc.com, Standard, Ideal Home, Stylist and Marie Claire as well as Homes & Gardens.