VICTORIAN REINVENTION

Interior design studio Turner Pocock has weaved its magic on a period townhouse, both spatially and visually, to create an elegant and thoroughly modern home

- ALI HEATH

Bunny Turner and Emma Pocock, founders of design studio Turner Pocock, are no strangers to reconfiguring townhouses. Indeed, since 2007 they have become synonymous with reimagining tired homes into spaces that are loved and enjoyed. With this detached Victorian property in Kensington, the creative duo were invited to gut the run-down interior and totally rethink the flow.

‘For us it all starts with the client. Our approach is personable and fun, but we take pride in ensuring the process is calm and polished,’ says Emma. Working with the owners, a couple in their mid-30s with two children under three, it was agreed their home needed to meet the demands of busy family life, while balancing a desire for sophisticated bespoke finishes and the sensibilities of practical utility space, usually found in larger country homes.

‘To achieve that within a London townhouse meant changing the alchemy: reworking a warren of small rooms with thoughtful spatial planning,’ says Emma. ‘It is our job to unearth what makes the client tick and to create a place that reflects their values, taste and needs.’ Projects kick-start with a designdirection meeting – the owners share their ideas, then Turner Pocock shapes them into a concept booklet as a basis for further discussion.