2019-08-01_Homes_&_Antiques 2

a quietstreetwiththeaddedbonusof
a leafygardenanda cellar.‘Thehouse
hadbeenrentedforyearsandit felt
prey unloved,butit wassoundand
thecellarwasa fabulousextraasfaras
I wasconcerned– atlast,a designated
storagespaceformyprops!I wouldlie
awakeatnightmentallyorganising
everythingontoimaginaryshelves.’
Usinga localarchitect,Marisadrew
upplanstoupdateandextendthe
house,adaptingit totheirneeds.‘The
intentionwastonudgetheinteriorinto
a morecontemporarylookwithout
obliteratingtheVictoriancharacter,’
sheexplains.Combiningstylesand
nishestoaddcharacterandinterest
toaninteriorisverymuch part of
Marisa’sdesignethos.
TheVictorianarchitecturaldetails
thatwerestillinsituwereretainedand
heevenreinstatedoneortwo,suchas
theresurroundintherearreception
room.However,theoldreplaceinthe
kitchenhadtogo.‘Itwasn’tdecorative
orpracticalandkeepingit wouldhave
reduced the work surface, so out it

LEFTMarisaona

deckedareaat the

backof thehousewith

PhoebeandReuben.

BELOWThesplendid,

greenCarnegiavaseis a

contemporarypiecefrom

Moser,oneof several

Marisahascollectedover

theyears.Themirroris

fromTheFrenchHousein

Parsons Green, London.

HOMES Calm Oasis

August 2019 Homes & Antiques 65