The Times Magazine 57childhood. That is now the name of the
homewares shop attached to his home, which
he shares with his Turkish/Bulgarian wife,
the photographer Neri Williams, two young
daughters, Wren and Bonnie, and their
Bedlington whippet, Elizabeth.
Composed of three interconnected
buildings, each from a different era, Georgian,
Regency and Victorian, the full restoration
project took an arduous four years.
“As a designer, I was so excited,” says
Patrick. “It is an eccentric building, combining
domestic, commercial and retail spaces with
architectural elements from different periods.
There was an inch of nicotine on the ceiling
and the heating was a coal-fired Rayburn. The
basement had not been used since Victorian
times. We restored it with the lightest of
touches. It still feels ancient, yet steel is
lurking behind the stone, holding up the
building. We have put every penny into it.
We had to make it work, pandemic or not.”
The result is extraordinary. Patrick designed
almost all the furniture. The kitchen was
approached like a sitting room, with “proper
pieces of furniture”. He adds, “I prefer simplicity,
with freestanding pieces whose proportions
are not informed by a Bosch dishwasher.”
A pantry is separated by a glass partition
designed by Patrick, with doors either end
to create “good flow”. Inside a dresser from
1890 is laden with cookery books, Mason jars,
cloches, platters, madeleine cake moulds and
deep ceramic bowls (Neri is an excellent cook).
Above the kitchen a new structure creates
a sense of open-plan living, linking the three
buildings seamlessly. The galleried room has
a vast glass lantern skylight, providing a
double-height roof in the kitchen.
“It is like being in a Vermeer painting,” says
Patrick, “being lit from above. There are no
harsh shadows. It creates calm and even on
the darkest days it emits a soft glowing light.”
Their kitchen, which is painted in a muted
Edward Bulmer London Brown, leads into
the sitting room, where a rose-pink sofa from
eBay is adorned with a Berdoulat cushion. The
slipper chair was reupholstered by Patrick’s
sister. The floors and French windows are
crafted by Marcus Jacka, while the mouldings
and casts displayed above the fireplace were
stripped by Patrick during lockdown.
Upstairs, the girls’ bedroom is inspired by
Giffords Circus, created to replicate the big
top, with fringed pink curtains sewn by Neri.
Across the galleried room, which is a playroom
and library, another set of stairs takes you to
the Georgian side, with the master bedroom,
en suite bathroom and a winter living room.
Patrick and Neri’s home is a vision ofpared-back simplicity, which reveals details,
materials and craft, each thoughtfully revived.
Inside the main shop, 19th-century mahogany
counter tops, worn smooth by years of use,
display antique scales, and rows of original
ceramic jars are filled with exotic spices,
liquorice sticks and French caramels.
Above is the original balcony, often hung
with vast elaborate wreaths of dried flowers,
handmade lampshades or handsewn quilts.
The pair are committed to collaborating with
local producers who practise traditional skills:
glass blowers, bakers, ceramicists, joiners,
metalworkers. “We love old methods, which
have a set of aesthetics that complement each
other,” says Neri. “It is like folk music.” nberdoulat.co.ukFrom top left: the girls’
bedroom, with circus-inspired
curtain; the galleried library
and playroom with skylightHome!