Thankfully, she didn’t have to work alone. Her husband Tom’s building company, Blockhouse Build, designed the room’s custom paprika-toned built-in shelving and storage, which cleverly hides the radiator in the living room. Next to three sets of tall, green Parisian-style glass doors with pink curtains that peek into the garden, it’s a powerful color play.
Before she could even think about decor, the three-bedroom brick home needed a renovation. The good news? What one might consider flaws—an awkward side entry, for instance—Goad saw as lovable quirks and a way to cleverly divide the main living floor into two zones: the kitchen and the living room. She began with the latter in the back of the house, where most of her neighbors have their kitchens, but instead she merged an interior sitting room and back conservatory to create one large family space, adding a natural glow with a series of skylights.
I love to move things around, even if they usually go back to their original spots in the end.”
Above: Rainbow Spectrum Tray, Matilda Goad; Vintage Armchair upholstered in Seafern Fabric by Colefax & Fowler, Cowtan.
Below, from top: Calke Green Paint (on doors) and Mizzle Paint (on walls), Farrow & Ball.
It was also a place where Goad could inject her personal style, one that gravitates toward a mix of floral patterns, saturated hues, and tons of natural texture. “I approach interiors in the same way I get dressed,” says the former fashion editor. “I like to add accessories, such as a handbag or a hat.” (You could say fashion runs in her blood; her mother worked for Swinging ’60s British designer Ossie Clark.) But unlike her affinity for Sea ruffled blouses and Breton striped tops, in her home, she chooses objects for the long haul. “You can buy a dress and wear it once,” she says. “But you look at a lamp every day.”
Top right: Vintage Chairs, Sunbury Antiques Market; Tartan Squiggle Jug and Ceramic Clam Shell, Matilda Goad; Roman Shades in Nasturtium Fabric, Lake August; Flax Lime Paint, Bauwerk; Vintage Sconce, Pamono. On Goad: Blouse, Sea New York. Above: Custom Shelf Unit, Blockhouse; Beetlenut Paint, Paint & Paper Library; Brass Lampshade, Matilda Goad; Stella Pendant Lamp, Pooky; Vintage Floor Lamp; Chaise, Pimpernel & Partners; Celeste-Boysenberry Fabric, Graham Sanderson Interiors.
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