Chiswick House

Paxton Road was designed around how this family really live: evenings at home, friends over, and a glass of wine by the fire.

Our clients love to sit down at the end of the day with a glass of wine, so rather than hide drinks away in a kitchen cupboard, we gave the bar a room of its own. The chimney breast is flanked by a pair of dark lacquered cabinets with brass-framed shelves and antique mirror behind, so the bottles and glassware become part of the decoration. Two deep, enveloping armchairs and a small side table make it a place to stay and talk, not a room you pass through.

The living room is the quieter counterpart. Lit alcove shelving over grasscloth cupboards gives books and favourite pieces a proper home, the sofa is deep enough to properly sink into, and the lighting is kept low and warm, from smoked-glass pendants and wall lights, so the room glows in the evening rather than glares.

At the back of the house the kitchen sits under a glazed roof, so we kept it light and relaxed as a contrast to the richer rooms at the front. A long table and banquette seat everyone at once, and the wall of plates brings a bit of humour to the room where the family spend most of their day.