Highbury
Victorian Town House
Scope of works included refurbishment throughout, encompassing bespoke joinery, lighting, window treatments, flooring, furniture, furnishings and finishes. Curation of artworks.
A key design objective was to create cohesion between the contemporary and Victorian architectural elements. The new era interior is based on Victorian principles, applied with contemporary design, materials and techniques. A modernist take on the decorative design associated with Victorian and Edwardian properties.
Many of the changes are relatively discreet but make a significant difference to the quality of the property. Refurbishing the flooring and changing all the radiators, for example, instantly elevates the interior.
Credits
Designer David Massingham / Photography KT1 Photography
“We wanted an individual and interesting interior design that would be warm and welcoming and comfortable to live in, rather than overtly styled, to give our home a new lease of life.”
More About This Victorian Home Renovation in Highbury & Islington: A New Era for a Much-Loved Family House
Highbury & Islington is home to some of London’s most beautiful Victorian streets, where elegant façades, generous proportions and layered architectural histories meet modern urban living. This renovation reflects exactly that spirit - a Victorian townhouse redesigned for a new chapter of family life, where the heritage of the building is celebrated, yet every room feels relevant to today’s way of living.
The owners had reached a crossroads: renovate or move. Their home had served the family well for many years, but with children growing up, parents ageing, changing work routines and new rhythms of daily life, the space no longer supported them as it once had. In discussion with David, they realised the house still held enormous potential. What followed was a thoughtful, sensitive transformation that brought this Victorian property confidently into the modern era while remaining grounded in it’s architectural roots.
This project demonstrates what many homeowners in Highbury & Islington seek today - a contemporary reinterpretation of a Victorian home, with consideration of potential future needs.
Honouring Victorian Architecture While Designing for Today
Victorian townhouses in London carry an inherent poetry: tall ceilings, elegant mouldings, generous staircases, and layered craftsmanship. Yet they also require careful rethinking to function seamlessly for modern families. In this house, the approach centred on respecting those original bones while using colour, proportion and materiality to bring a renewed sense of purpose to each room.
Rather than recreating a period pastiche, the design embraced the Victorian principles of richness and character but interpreted them through a contemporary lens. Strong, expressive colours were used with intention - not simply to decorate but to shape the mood and energy of the rooms. Deep greens, ochres, warm neutrals and soft greys work together as a cohesive palette, guiding the eye through the home and creating a visual dialogue between past and present.
This approach allowed the architecture to breathe while giving the interiors a sense of sophistication and depth that feels completely in tune with modern London living.
A Home Shaped by Art, Colour and Personal Expression
Art became a central driver of the design narrative. The family owned a remarkable collection of paintings - some of which had been hidden away in storage for years. Bringing these pieces back into the home allowed the design to align with something deeply personal. Instead of designing around trends, the rooms were shaped around the artworks’ colour stories, textures and emotional resonance.
A London cityscape influenced the ochre wall leading up the staircase; bold greens in the dining area wallcovering informed the tones of skirting and joinery; softer hues in impressionistic pieces subtly guided the palette in the main living spaces. This interplay between art and interior design brought a distinctive warmth and authenticity to the home - an approach particularly well suited to Victorian architecture, which naturally embraces layers of meaning and visual richness, connecting with the conversation pieces that would have hung on their walls.
At every step, the aim was to ensure the house felt like their home, not an anonymous showpiece. Much of the success lies in this personal, collaborative approach.
Craftsmanship, Materiality and the Revival of Detail
A Victorian townhouse reveals its character in the details - the texture of a stair runner, the curve of a headboard, the sheen of a woven wallcovering, or the weight of solid joinery. Central to the redesign was a renewed commitment to quality materials and bespoke craftsmanship.
Existing cabinetry was restored and refreshed; shelving was redesigned with leather-backed panels to introduce depth and tactility; joinery was designed to wrap around artwork, improve storage and bring sculptural form into each space. Even the staircase, once painted in bright gloss, was stripped back and refinished to reveal a richer, more grounded tone that better suited the house’s architectural rhythm.
These gestures, though seemingly subtle, create a profound sense of balance - the heritage of the home remains fully present, yet the spaces feel undeniably contemporary.
A Victorian Layout That Supports Modern Family Life
Like many Victorian houses in Highbury & Islington, this home spans several levels and required zoning to support the varied needs of a busy family. Flexible spaces for working from home, quiet areas for reading, playful spaces for teens, and rooms for visiting grandparents were all thoughtfully incorporated. The basement became a practical activity zone, the middle levels evolved into multi-functional living spaces, and the bedrooms were tailored individually to the personalities and lifestyles of each family member.
The design philosophy remained consistent throughout: honour the Victorian spirit, but allow each room to express the new era of family life unfolding within it.
Bedrooms as Contemporary Sanctuaries Within a Historic Home
The bedrooms reflect the project’s overarching theme - a Victorian home made modern with creativity, colour and texture.
In the main bedroom, woven wallcoverings introduce a gentle warmth, while an expansive floor-to-ceiling headboard acts as a piece of art in itself, bringing scale and drama without overwhelming the architecture. A window seat was added to enhance a beautiful bay window, transforming an underused area into a quiet retreat.
The adult children and guest bedrooms were reconfigured for flexibility, incorporating bespoke joinery, hidden storage, sculptural curves and art-inspired palettes. Each space feels timeless yet completely personal - a key hallmark of contemporary Victorian interior design.
A Highbury & Islington Home Ready for Its Next Chapter
This renovation celebrates everything that makes Highbury & Islington such a desirable place to live: elegant Victorian streets, vibrant cultural life, and homes that lend themselves beautifully to reinvention. The house now feels uplifting, expressive and deeply comfortable - a perfect balance of heritage and modernity.
By embracing the richness of Victorian design while reinterpreting it with today’s materials, colours and craftsmanship, the project has become a lasting home for a family entering a new phase of life. It demonstrates how sensitive, imaginative design can allow homeowners to fall in love with their property all over again.
Work With an Interior Designer Specialising in Victorian Homes in North London
If you’re renovating a Victorian property in Highbury & Islington we would love to help you create a home that honours its architectural heritage while supporting the needs of contemporary living. Whether updating a single room or transforming an entire house, our approach blends deep understanding of period design with a fresh, modern perspective.