English Home

Were it possible for a house to bedescribed as ever ready for Christmas,it would be the Edwardian home ofHelen and Andrew Cormack.Without a twig of holly or a trail of ivy, the vibrantpersonality of the rooms they have created gives offa celebratory aura, even when there is no seasonalexcuse. This is a house that welcomes visitors andloves to entertain them, whatever the time of year;at Christmas it simply goes into overdrive.Helen and Andrew purchased their north Londonhome in 1987 for qualities that are equally importantto them now. “It was the big windows and thebeautiful light in the rooms,” is how Andrewsummarises its instant attraction. There was more to itthan that, of course. There was the size and scale of therooms, though their purchase did not include theground floor of the property, which was then twostudio flats. “It is why our kitchen is still up here onthe first floor,” Helen laughs. She was then working asan interior designer and engaged in the refurbishmentof the kind of apartment where the owners casuallydiscard quality fittings. “The kitchen cabinets, analmost-new washing machine and fridge were all goinginto a skip, and the contractor said if I could get a vanto take them by the next evening, I could have them.”Prospects for change came when the two studio flatson the ground floor came up for sale simultaneouslyin 2003. “We took a deep breath, bought them bothand decided to restore the house to how it would havebeen in 1904,” Andrew explains. “Fortunately most ofthe architectural features had survived, but wiring andplumbing throughout the house had to be replaced.”``````CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE Andrew and Helen at Christmas.Period glass was sourced and cut to fit the reclaimed frontdoor. The floor tiles are from Original Style.The collection of engravings lining the walls of Andrew’sstudy reflects his work as a military historian.TEH UK DEC15 HOUSE - Helen Tissus D'Helene.indd 59 14/10/2015 10:24