PEACE & joy

Every corner of this characterful London home exudes a certain charm that immediately fills you with a sense of ease and happiness

- FIONA McCARTHY

Working to a tight budget doesn't mean having to scrimp on style or quality. 'I relish the challenge of being inventive and creative within fiscal boundaries, making sure each space feels deeply personal,' enthuses London-based interior designer Orla Read. It's certainly the approach she took when rescuing this maisonette from crumbling ruin. First working out the spatial planning and functionality, Orla then layered colour and texture into multipurpose spaces to really suit how the family, a couple with two children, like to live.

While imbued with brilliant proportions and high ceilings (even on the lower ground floor), the actual footprint across the two storeys of this west London garden square apartment wasn't large. 'When it was bought, it was a total shambles,' says Orla of peeling wallpaper, bathroom hardware falling away from the walls, curtains torn and shredded. There were oddities too, like the 'enormous staircase at the end of the hallway that gave the apartment a sense of grandeur, yet ironically only goes up to the smallest of rooms - a compact study which used to be the only bathroom in the home,' says Orla. She diligently carved out three double bedrooms with bathrooms, large kitchen and living spaces, as well as a utility room, cellar and bike store, ensuring there were areas where the family could be both apart and together, and where nothing feels too precious. 'Each room doesn't feel too personal to anyone in particular, but each one has a special appeal and character,' says Orla.