Age Of Elegance

Seemingly endless planning applications, a dramatic reconfiguration and the installation of a show-stopping staircase have all been worth the upheaval in the case of this undeniably stylish townhouse.

- Arabella Youens

The immaculate interiors of this double-fronted, mid-19th-century London townhouse are a far cry from the tired family home that its owners, Laura and Robert Howard, bought five years ago. The transformation is now complete, but it required clear heads and brave hearts as everything but the four exterior walls had to be stripped away to reconfigure the internal space, and the new rooms painstakingly decorated.

The journey began long before so much as a skip could be brought on site. Planning applications numbering well into double figures were submitted for the creation of an additional basement level, and the installation of a car-lift and skylights. Such was the intricacy of the project that, when the builders were finally able to move in and start work, Laura and Robert found themselves having to make decisions on an almost hourly basis. With busy working lives to manage at the same time, the couple decided to appoint interior designer Rebecca Hughes to help them.