MERRY & BRIGHT

This Edwardian home feels joyful all year round and it is all down to the bold colours, pretty patterns and delightful decorative details

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Trims and tassels are familiar territory for upholsterer Narissa Musgrave, so when she and husband Tim decided to downsize from their family home, it seemed fitting to give a new decorative lease of life to treasured pieces. In that sense, joining forces with interior designer Laura Stephens – known for her passion for passementerie – was a match made in heaven. ‘As well as being neighbours, I’ve worked with Laura on a number of projects,’ says Narissa. ‘We enjoy her considered use of colour and pattern and so we wanted her to take on the renovation of our new home.’

Their children having flown the nest, Tim and Narissa had looked at properties in Dorset, Sussex and Suffolk, but in the end settled for a smaller Edwardian terrace just a couple of streets away from their London home. ‘It felt right because we hadn’t fallen out of love with the capital,’ says Tim. ‘Retirement in the city, surrounded by friends and familiarity, felt appealing.’