Set the mood

Coaxing this Victorian property into the 21st century, Tom Morris of Morrisstudio has crafted contemporary schemes where rich colours play a starring role

- WORDS VIVIENNE AYERS

Behind the facade of this classic three-storey Victorian property in London lies a completely unexpected interior. Alluring use of colour, rich woods, crafted furniture and beguiling fabrics inject a certain joie de vivre that ensures the interior sings. It's a quintessential design by Tom Morris of Morrisstudio, who describes his signature style as 'steering towards earthy or warmer tones, a touch more on the masculine side but never too overdesigned or stylised, with a diverse mix of things'.

The brief from the client, who had lived in the house for some time, was to make the interior more cohesive and improve storage. Tom's solution involved devising a colour scheme that brought everything together, utilising the space with custom joinery and elevating the interior with bespoke pieces and Danish furniture.

Colour was woven through in a way that infuses a sense of modernity. In the punchy sitting room, for instance, the palette was inspired by the work of artist Frank Auerbach, resulting in an ode to colour. 'We really wanted to bring in some lovely warm earth tones,' says Tom. 'Frank would have quite a moody, dark colour palette and against it there would be brighter colours, so that's why we brought in a bespoke pistachio green sofa, as well as all the indigo shades'.