An 'Intentionally Humble' 1908 Arts & Crafts Cottage Hidden in London, Gently Restored After a Century in the Same Family
Step inside this sensitive, storybook restoration by Charlton Brown and interior designer Marion Lichtig, right in the heart of London
Charming, compact, and just a little crooked, this Arts & Crafts cottage in Hampstead feels a world away from central London. Designed in 1908, it is now Grade II-listed (meaning its historic character is legally protected), but that’s not the most remarkable part of its story.
The house has remained in the same family for over a century, gathering memories of Christmasses past while its original fireplaces, timber beams, and leaded windows remain. When the current owner inherited it, the brief was never to reinvent but to restore. Led by Charlton Brown in close collaboration with interior designer Marion Lichtig, the renovation became an act of careful stewardship.
In an era of fast reinvention, this house design argues for slow renovating and considerate restoration. The result is neither nostalgic nor new for the sake of it – instead, it reads as it always should have: cozy, liveable, and confident in its new chapter.
The cottage is Grade II listed and was designed in a vernacular cottage style with roughcast walls and tile details and weatherboarding, distinctive of the area.
To understand the project, you first have to get to know the original architect. M. H. Baillie Scott was one of the leading domestic architects of the early 20th century, known for designing houses that felt informal, intimate, and deeply considered.
Siwan Ifan at Charlton Brown says: 'We spent lots of time at the beginning looking at books and essays of Baillie Scott’s work. He had innovative ideas around the planning of domestic spaces – one of his radical ones at the time being the concept of “the houseplace” – that is, a single, large room in middle-class houses, with alcoves off it for eating, reading, talking, and so on.'
'The hallways are intentionally kept calm and neutral to maximize natural light and to ensure the original central staircase remains the defining architectural feature,' says designer Marion.
'The arrangement of the large living room at the rear of this house, interconnected with the library and dining room, is a perfect example of this. There are also some lovely watercolors that he did for the interior of his houses, which helped to give us an idea of what he may have been thinking when he designed elements of this house, such as fireplaces, and even his visions for color,' Siwan adds.
Early on, the design team found the original drawings still rolled up in a cupboard.
'When we first visited the house, despite it feeling very tired, it was clear that the family had always had a huge respect for the house and its garden; the original drawings were rolled in the cupboard, rose beds from the original landscaping scheme were being pruned, and the house was still full of Baillie Scott's Arts and Crafts details like the inglenook fireplace, staircase, fitted cupboards with their wrought iron latches and hinges, etc.'
The kitchen, painted in Stony Plaster by Atelier Ellis with cabinetry in French Gray by Farrow & Ball, is grounded by reclaimed quarry tiles that add patina and personality to the functional space.
The house’s restoration was shaped as much by memory as it was by architecture.
The current owners, an Australian family who inherited the property from a beloved great aunt, had visited the cottage every year growing up, returning to Hampstead to spend time with her. That long-standing connection made the project deeply personal.
'We spent time developing a design that honored the memories the client had of the house, while making major improvements through subtle interventions. The house and client are very emotionally entwined, so it was crucial that the architecture, interiors, and furniture were made holistically to achieve the desired outcome.'
Fortunately, the property had been remarkably well preserved, with relatively few alterations made over its 100-year life, allowing many original details to be carefully restored or salvaged. 'The interior design is intentionally humble, allowing the crafted features to retain their prominence.'
The main living area is painted in a soft, muted yellow, Pollen by Atelier Ellis, and is complemented by the bricks in the original fireplace, while the armchairs are covered in Rose Uniacke fabric.
The home renovation focused on refinement rather than reinvention. Original fireplaces were carefully revived, overpainted ironmongery removed and restored to its former detail, and joinery retained or sensitively reinstated where it had been lost.
'We wanted to stay as close as possible to the Arts and Crafts movement without it feeling too intense or overdone,' explains Marion Lichtig.
At the heart of the home sits the living room – Baillie Scott’s 'houseplace' brought into the present day. 'The client wanted to retain the essence of the living room, which would often be filled with sunlight through the large leaded light windows in the morning, but keep it very cozy in the evenings,' Siwan explains.
Anchored by the original inglenook fireplace, the biggest room in the house manages to feel enveloping thanks to a layered yet subtle furniture scheme.
Farrow & Ball's Green Smoke was used to add depth to the library nook, while the armchair and rug were made bespoke.
The timber beams were painstakingly rubbed back from black paint to reveal their natural patina, and the lighting scheme was approached with equal care. With low ceilings intrinsic to the cottage’s character, recessed downlights were deliberately avoided. Instead, soft pools of illumination are created through pendants, table lamps, and discreet directional spotlights mounted along the beams.
The client yearned for a cozy space to sit and read, so they created a small library space in what would've been the original dining room. The original paneling was retained, and the entire nook was color-drenched in Farrow & Ball's Green Smoke while a little bench seat and armchair were added to create the ultimate reading nook.
'A thick textured curtain in a muted green was added to separate the dining room and living space,' Marion adds.
The dining room carries the same wall color as the library to complement the fireplace. The ceiling pendant is from Soho Home, the chairs were sourced from Lorfords Antiques, and the table from Mark Proctor Antiques.
In the dining room, the original ochre and green fireplace tiles became the starting point for the color scheme of the whole home.
'The beautiful tiles in the fireplace were a key feature which inspired the design within this room and neighboring living room and library,' Siwan explains. 'The key move here was to change the existing small casement window to a large French door giving direct access to the relandscaped garden and terrace for outdoor dining.'
The walls in here were also painted in Farrow & Ball's Green Smoke, up to the existing molding, and help to connect the library, living, and dining room in one color story.
'We worked in very close partnership developing the color scheme for the living room, library, and dining area, which are all interconnected,' Siwan adds. 'It was key for these three spaces to hang together.'
The original plan form was largely intact, but the existing kitchen space was much too small. Now, it still remains bijoux but is packed with clever storage and display moments.
The kitchen was all about reconfiguration. Previously cramped and divided, the layout felt disconnected, and for a house designed around flow and ease, it was the one space that no longer worked.
'The kitchen was previously very small and too poky, with a dining space separated by a large chimney breast which housed the boiler,' Siwan explains. 'We demolished walls in the kitchen to create a more generous kitchen space. The client wanted a pantry, which we provided by inserting a glazed screen following the line of the original historic wall.'
'This meant that the historic plan form was honored, but the quality of the space was transformed as light was allowed to enter the kitchen from both the East and West sides.'
The small boot room, tucked behind the kitchen, was painted in Red Earth by Farrow & Ball for a pop of unexpected red that works so well with the floor tiles.
'Soft colors are combined with rustic finishes like the reclaimed quarry tiles in the kitchen. Marion wanted to keep quite a few of the original pieces of furniture, which were very much of the period,' Siwan explains of the kitchen color scheme.
The kitchen cabinets are painted in French Gray by Farrow & Ball (a great color for a small kitchen to add color without overpowering the space), which sits beautifully against the checkerboard tiles that run right through into the breakfast room.
'We added new bench seat joinery by the back door, serving as a useful mini boot room area next to the pantry,' adds Siwan.
The breakfast room retained some of the original pieces of the home, including this dresser that works hard as a coffee station for the family.
As well as the original chimney breast, they also kept the original dresser in the breakfast room.
Painted up to match the kitchen cabinets, the dresser was transformed into a breakfast cupboard complete with a coffee machine and fridge.
'Several of the house’s original pieces of furniture were lovingly restored and returned to their rooms and cozy nooks, creating a sense of layered, lived-in spaces where furnishings feel as though they have always belonged,' says Marion.
On the other side of the breakfast room, you'll find a Rayburn stove tucked into an original alcove. The table and chairs are both antique, sourced separately, and had to be heightened to fit one another.
'The breakfast room is a particular favorite,' adds Siwan. 'While it functions day-to-day as a breakfast room with everything one might need around the table, the presence of the Rayburn allows it to come into its own on high days and holidays, when it naturally becomes part of the kitchen and becomes a more sociable, hardworking space.'
Marion agrees, adding: 'It captures the spirit and period of the house, with a warmth that feels entirely authentic.'
In the powder room, Voysey's Passion Flower wallpaper sets the tone. The vanity and blinds were made bespoke, while the mirror was sourced from Folie Chambre.
Once a modest pantry, this compact powder room has been cleverly repurposed as a downstairs bathroom – and provides one of the home’s only wallpaper moments.
Wrapped in a botanical print, the walls bloom with vines, paired with half-height paneling and contemporary wall sconces to balance the pattern and antique nature of the space. Small though it may be, the room is packed with charm.
'We wanted to bring at least one distinctive Arts & Crafts pattern into the house, so we used this Voysey Wallpaper and kept the design relatively simple with an elegant skirted vanity, and tongue and groove paneling,' Marion explains.
In the primary bedroom, painted in Cromarty by Farrow & Ball, Soho Home's Valerie Bedside Tables flank the bed styled with lamps also from Soho Home.
Moving upstairs, the ambiance changes just a touch. Where the ground floor embraces richer tones and sociable spaces, the bedrooms adopt a softer, more restful palette.
'Upstairs, the atmosphere shifts to a slightly calmer palette, with shades of blue layered alongside soft greens and muted yellows – a natural continuation of the scheme established downstairs,' Marion explains.
In the main bedroom, Siwan felt it lacked depth. So they chose traditional paneling to add character and complement the original features. 'Carpets were removed on the upper floor, and original boards were carefully restored and refinished. Additional wardrobes were designed to integrate with the panelling, providing generous storage without compromising the overall aesthetic.'
'The room is finished in a calm, muted gray-green, Cromarty by Farrow & Ball, creating a restful atmosphere,' Marion adds.
In the wet room, a soft green tadelakt was used to match the zellige tiles from Mosaic Factory. Zen Bespoke Joinery made the vanity, and the hardware is all from Aston Matthews.
One of two bathrooms upstairs, this family space was created from what had once been a small bedroom.
'A new doorway was introduced to connect it directly to the principal bedroom, while the original hall door was retained to allow the space to function either as an ensuite or as a separate bathroom,' Siwan explains.
While the palette continues the soft greens established in the bedroom, the finishes in here become more tactile. The shower wall is clad in checkerboard zellige tiles, their gentle irregular shapes adding movement to the otherwise calm scheme.
The remaining walls are finished in tadelakt plaster, a traditional lime plaster chosen for both its durability in wet spaces and its softly textured surface.
In the converted garage, the outdoor kitchen has been painted in a bold green and paired with tiles from Bert & May, and the countertops are made from Silestone.
Beyond the house, the renovation also addressed the relationship between the inside and outside. A particularly unsympathetic garage once occupied the rear of the garden, disrupting the otherwise traditional character of the setting.
'The unsightly 1960s garage was demolished at the rear of the plot, and replaced with a new oak-framed traditional garage building with sprocketed eaves, with an outdoor kitchen incorporated along the long wall, that can be entirely opened up to a pergola area within the rose garden,' Siwan explains.
'The outdoor kitchen, painted in a bold green was designed as a simple long run of units placed right on the long edge of the newbuild garage at the rear of the plot, along which bi-fold timber doors could be fully opened to expose it completely in summer, to allow our clients to entertain and dine under the pergola, enjoying the last of the evening light.'
In this twin bedroom, the original fireplace acts as the focal point. Wallpaper by Robert Kime wraps the walls, while the little slipper chair was the client's own and has been reupholstered and styled with a pillow from Caravane.
As with many thoughtful historic home restorations, some of the most transformative moments lie in the smallest details. Throughout the house, original ironmongery was carefully removed from doors and joinery and sent off-site to be restored.
The original staircase was largely left untouched, simply rubbed back and refinished to reveal the warmth of the timber beneath. 'The newel posts on the original staircase are a particularly lovely detail that could easily be overlooked,' Siwan adds. 'We chose to leave the staircase largely untouched, simply rubbing it back and refinishing it to bring out its natural character.'
Back in the living room, the sofa was upholstered in Tyndall Stone Green by Colefax and Fowler, and the small bench in fabric from De le Cuona.
Color decisions were also equally considered, but not every choice was immediately embraced. 'The client was initially hesitant about introducing yellow, but we’re so pleased we encouraged them to embrace it in the living room,' says Marion. 'The result brings a gentle warmth to the space that feels uplifting and entirely at home.'
'Whilst colorful accents have been used throughout, the color choices are mostly earthy and muted,' Siwan notes. 'Warm yellows and greens define the living spaces, transitioning to softer pinks and terracotta layered with gray greens in the kitchen and breakfast room, creating a scheme that feels both cohesive and gently varied.'
More than a century after it was first built, this quiet Arts & Crafts cottage remains deeply tied to the family who have cared for it across generations.
Hidden within the leafy, calm London suburb of Hampstead, it still holds the memories of childhood visits, and a beloved great aunt who once called it home but has been reimagined for its next chapter.
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