Pastel power

Maya Hendrix’s fabulously fresh west London home shows the decorative impact a few pops of happy hues can have

- Jo Leevers

LIVING ROOM

‘I could have put colour on the walls but I think it’s more flexible accessorising with it,’ says Maya.

Eames lounge chair, Vitra at Heal’s. Artwork, Damien Hirst. The Persian rug is a family heirloom; try Pars Rug Gallery

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THE OWNER

Maya Hendrix, a teacher and jewellery designer, lives here with her daughter Nina, 10.

THE PROPERTY

A four-storey, Victorian, stucco-fronted townhouse in west London. The kitchen, dining room and a garden room are on the ground floor, with the living room and a TV snug on the floor above. The basement has a playroom, a further snug, a utility room and a guest suite. The top floor has two bedrooms, both with mezzanines, and a bathroom.

I love colour, but I didn’t want to be jolted awake by bright walls every morning,’ says Maya Hendrix. Instead, she took a softly-softly approach, adding pastels that are gentle on the eye but still manage to have impact. As a backdrop that runs through the four floors of this handsome Victorian townhouse, she chose white, then added personality and pops of colour in the form of lights, art, furniture and fabrics. ‘Yes, I could have put colour on the walls – and I could have painted over them if they were too much – but I think it’s more flexible doing it this way,’ she smiles.