Discovering that the terraced house they had spotted being cleared had been home to the same family for more than 60 years was just the push James and Eleanor Hemsley needed to decide that this was the home for them. Even more happily, it would become the place where they started their own family with daughter Tamsin, now one.
When James and Eleanor bought the house in 2020, it had barely been touched since the 1970s so the fittings and decor were firmly of that era. They embarked on a full renovation and moved in a year later. ‘Many features had been removed or covered – original fireplaces replaced with electric fires and faux ceiling tiles added. It was also heavy with swirly carpets and textured wallpaper,’ says Eleanor. What you see today is altogether different: timeless, earthy and artisanal, with influences from Spanish, Moroccan and Victorian design.
‘It was a running source of amusement to the builders, but these decisions have given the house its character and the aged feeling we wanted’
When they removed the textured wallpaper, the plaster crumbled into pieces so they had to go all the way back to the brick. Some of the brick walls in the bedrooms they left exposed, while the new plaster is kept unpainted throughout the house. ‘We love the softness of the London stock bricks,’ says Eleanor.
The builders were initially sceptical about some of these design choices – which also included not replacing the old wonky door frames, laboriously sanding the floors with a hand sander and leaving wooden floorboards exposed in the bathroom. ‘It was a running source of amusement to them, but these decisions have given the house its distinctive character and the aged feeling we wanted,’ says James.
The most exciting change, Eleanor says, was removing the PVC windows and doors, and fitting wooden sash windows and a reclaimed wooden front door with stained glass panels, found nearby at Dulwich Reclamation. ‘There’s something about the way sash windows reflect the light that is hard to beat,’ she says.
‘There’s something about the way sash windows reflect the light that is hard to beat’
The couple cite some key influences in their more avant garde approach to decor, including the riads of Morocco, the mid-century, plant-filled spaces designed by the Spanish architect César Manrique in Lanzarote (especially his final home in Haria) and Omar Sharif’s house in Nazaret (now LagOmar Museum Lanzarote) – ‘it’s carved into a cliff and overflowing with greenery,’ says Eleanor. All of these interiors are beautifully rustic, with exposed materials and simple, unfussy design and furniture.
The Hemsleys’ home is filled with antique and vintage pieces. Their collecting journey began in their previous home when they started buying their first pieces of furniture together. Around that time, they discovered Eltham Palace and developed a brief penchant for Art Deco design, before their tastes gradually shifted toward a more mid-century style, buoyed by regular trips to Crystal Palace Antiques. ‘Our appreciation for vintage pieces comes from valuing craftsmanship, history and beautiful objects, especially those which are made to last and serve a purpose,’ says Eleanor.
Together they collect vibrant West German plant pots from the 1960s and 1970s, as well as modern versions made by Otto Keramik using the original processes. Much of their furniture has been acquired through online marketplaces and in charity shops. ‘Our mid-century dining chairs, Victorian wardrobe, Arts and Crafts sideboard, vintage G Plan coffee table, and various brass lighting pieces came from Facebook Marketplace, eBay, and the British Heart Foundation, which has an excellent section on its eBay site dedicated to preloved furniture and homeware,’ says James.
The result is an eclectic mix, tied together with colourful antique tapestries and Turkish rugs, which Eleanor describes as having ‘happy designs’. It all feels harmonious. While Eleanor and James never stop looking out for the next piece to love and cherish, they also enjoy refining their collection as their tastes evolve. James admits to enjoying moving pieces around until the space feels right.
They’re also no strangers to adapting their finds: a vintage Guzzini lampshade found in a junk shop has been fitted to a modern arc base, while a Victorian vanity unit discovered in a charity shop has been turned into a bathroom sink. ‘We couldn’t find plugs to fit the salvaged sinks so we had to file them down to make modern ones fit,’ says James. ‘It was worth the effort to preserve the original character.’ The same could be said to sum up their beautiful house renovation…
