Style steal: Take inspiration from this playful, bright and bold family home
We take a tour through Office S&M's wonderfully colourful Graphic House and highlight key ideas you can apply to your own family home
In this new series ‘Style steal’ we’ll tour inspiring family homes and give you some top design takeaways for your own project, whether that’s a simple room makeover, or a whole home reno.
We were really taken with Office S&M’s playful yet sensitive renovation of an Edwardian home in Hackney, London, designed for a pair of graphic designers and their two children. Drawing on the owners’ passion for graphics and love of Art Deco forms, shape and colour connects the spaces in this stunning project.
Highlight architectural features
Whether new or old, highlighting architectural features is a clever way to add a pop of colour and an element of surprise to your design. We love the way that a bold, zingy yellow has been used to highlight the graphic-shaped window and door frames, while the original balustrades have been painted in a sky blue throughout the house – creating a beautiful contrast to the pared-back plaster pink walls.
Embrace curves
Retaining the original Art Deco fireplace was key for the owners and it became the focal point and inspiration behind the whole project. The surround’s graphic style and curved design is reflected throughout the house, with a round porthole window and unique lozenge-shaped island in the kitchen. The curved wall of the downstairs cloakroom leads you through the hall, kitchen and dining space, while upstairs curved walls wrap around the bathroom, creating a rounded shower enclosure.
Be bold with colour
We love the brave colour choices used in this project, which instantly feel uplifting, refreshing and playful – great for family homes. Fresh primary hues clash with ice-cream pastels for a modern take on the 1930s beach vibe. “The interiors of the toilet and coat cupboards are painted in Dulux’s Bongo Jazz, a vivid peach that creates an immersive colour experience that contrasts with the minty green,” says Catrina Stewart, partner at Office S&M. “When the doors are ajar, the colour spills out into the hallway, creating intrigue and surprise.”
Have fun with your design
It’s no accident that the cooker hood looks like a giant red nose, with two ‘eye’ wall lights either side – it’s a playful twist that’s subtle enough to not be gauche. We also love how Office S&M has experimented with scale by introducing two giant circles in the hallway, one painted, the other an oversized mirror, leading you up the stairwell.
Reuse and recycle
The hero of the kitchen is undoubtedly the striking yet sustainable terrazzo-style island, which is made from melted down plastic cutlery. While this is a new element, wherever possible the house has been repaired and restored, rather than building new. The tiles in the hallway have been restored to their former glory while the existing walls have been restored and the raw pink plaster finish left exposed, nodding to the house’s past while also adding warmth and texture to the space.
Don’t forget the details
It’s those little things that can make a huge difference in a family home – we love the use of inexpensive square white tiles, which have been elevated with coloured grout. Even smaller buys such as the tap, shelf brackets and door handles have been considered, enhancing that graphic feel throughout.
So, what do you think of this family home? Would you incorporate any of the ideas into your own home renovation? Let us know in the comments below. Plus, if you’re looking for more family home inspiration, check out more real home projects here.