Modern REVIVAL

Emilie Fournet merged the past and the present in this early a peiorian townhouse and the result is a stunning home full of character

- JO LEEVERS

Interior designer Emilie Fournet wanted to honour the history of this home, while giving it a fresh lease of life. ‘This house has beautiful bones, from the panelling and mouldings to the shuttered windows,’ she says. ‘My aim was to stay true to the early Victorian period while bringing the house into the 21st century, with a nod to key design periods along the way.’

She was initially brought in to advise on one small room, but her client loved what she did so much that he asked her to continue redesigning all the rooms of his home. Emilie’s schemes are led by her use of colour and she chose archive paint shades that evoke a traditional mood. In the walls of the double sitting room (knocking through the front and back spaces was also part of her overhaul), she used a violet-toned grey that suits the panelling. The furniture is less traditional, with a Michel Ducaroy Togo sofa that fits perfectly beneath the window: ‘I wanted to keep the window visible, so you can appreciate the room as a whole.’