Imagine transforming your home after raising your children – a true rebirth of space reflecting personal growth and evolving tastes. That's precisely what interior designer Samantha Todhunter did, and the results are breathtaking. But here's the kicker: it took her over 15 years!
Often, we assume interior designers are constantly updating their own homes, a never-ending cycle of renovation and reinvention. However, for Samantha Todhunter, a renowned designer (check out her work at samantathodhunter.com), the transformation of her West London home was a project patiently waiting for the right moment.
Samantha purchased the house back in 2007, after her divorce, envisioning it as a haven for herself and her two young daughters, then aged nine and seven. Initially, she made only minor adjustments. "It was kind of OK at the time," she recalls, "so I did some basic things just to freshen it up – a coat of paint, new carpet, and I replaced a purple splashback in the kitchen with subway tiles." The home possessed a naturally bright and airy atmosphere, which the family embraced. For a long time, they simply lived in and loved the space as it was.
But as the years passed, Samantha's design sensibilities evolved, and so did her desires for her living environment. She realized that her taste had shifted significantly. While she once favored a clean, minimalist aesthetic, she now yearned to "pile things on a bit" – embracing vibrant colors and bold patterns (a concept similar to the uplifting effects of "dopamine dressing"). The pale grey walls, which once felt so chic and modern, now seemed outdated. "I think I would no more paint my walls grey now than fly to the moon," she jokes. The time for a significant change had undeniably arrived.
Small Changes, Monumental Impact
"I’d been wanting to renovate it for a while," Samantha explains. "And then things just fell into place a couple of years ago. I found an architect and a great team of contractors, and we punched out the back a little bit – not by very much, but it opened up the back of the house completely." A leaky, unattractive pitched glass conservatory roof (a common issue, as highlighted by window safety concerns) was replaced with a modern glass skylight and elegant Crittall-style French doors. "The difference is just incredible," she emphasizes.
Samantha also undertook a small extension on the second floor (much like the extensions discussed here) to create an additional bedroom and bathroom. This allowed her to dedicate the entire first floor to the main bedroom, bathroom, and a study, while the second floor now houses her daughters' bedrooms and bathroom. "It wasn’t a massive change in terms of floor space, but it’s really interesting how small things have such a huge impact on a building; it’s really changed it so much," she notes. Even seemingly minor structural alterations can dramatically alter the feel and functionality of a home.
Piling on the Pattern (and the Personality!)
The most striking transformation, however, lies in the injection of color and pattern throughout the interior. The previous soft greys and pastel pinks have been replaced with a vibrant palette of warm shades, punctuated by bold black and white accents, and wallpaper – lots and lots of wallpaper! "I think I’ve wallpapered 90 percent of the house in different papers, but it does all flow beautifully," she assures.
For instance, the hallway, living room, and dining room walls are now adorned with a warm salmon-pink grasscloth from Altfield. "If I’d painted the walls that color, I feel it would have been quite a challenging thing to live with long-term," Samantha explains. "But because it’s a grasscloth, it has so much movement and layers to it; I don’t think I’ll ever get bored of it. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have lots of art to hang; it just looks good." This highlights the power of texture in interior design, adding depth and visual interest that paint alone cannot achieve.
The living room sofa, a long-time favorite, has been reupholstered in a plush green Jim Thompson velvet, perfectly complementing the pattern in the rug from The Rug Company, another cherished piece. A raspberry-pink ottoman, from Samantha's own furniture designs, adds a delightful pop of contrasting color. "I wanted this room to be like a jewel box, and to feel cosy," she says. "It’s quite ‘busy,’ with the geometric rug and the chevron armchairs, but that makes it feel really cocooning." The previous gallery wall of various-sized pictures above the sofa has been replaced with a single, large black-and-white artwork, providing a visual anchor and balancing the surrounding patterns. "I love what black does to a room; it’s a classic," Samantha emphasizes.
The bookcases flanking the fireplace are also painted black, and Samantha added wiring to install library lights, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere in the evenings.
Beyond the living room, the often-challenging middle room in a terraced house has been transformed into a sophisticated yet playful dining room. The centerpiece is a leopard-print table – the Matilda trestle from The Warborough Collection (designed by Samantha herself) – paired with eclectic chairs sourced from Etsy.
The Party Kitchen: Where Function Meets Fun
While the kitchen is now larger and more open than before, Samantha made a conscious decision to forgo a central island unit, opting instead for a custom-made round table covered with Ian Mankin ticking fabric and topped with glass. "It feels more atmospheric and less like you’re sitting in a kitchen, especially in the evening," she explains. "If I’d put an island there, it would have limited how I use the room. Now, if I have people over for dinner, I can add a bigger top to the table, and in the summer, I can open up the doors and have people dining from the kitchen all the way into the garden; it becomes one big room. I couldn’t do that if I had an island." This demonstrates a clever approach to kitchen design, prioritizing flexibility and social interaction over the conventional layout.
The old subway-tile splashback has been replaced with elegant Carrara marble, and the sleek black units provide a striking contrast against the yellow and white striped wallpaper from Howe. Further adding to the energy of the space is the black and white striped awning sheltering the terrace outside. "I think that awning is the most triumphant thing about the renovation; what it’s done is extraordinary," Samantha exclaims. "Adding a black and white stripe into anything just works."
Smart Solutions for Everyday Living
The main bedroom, located on the first floor, is painted in a soft, inviting pale pink. "I define pink as a color that invites you in; it’s very warming and easy to be in," Samantha explains. The curtains, in a similar shade, are made of a linen fabric by Claremont, trimmed with a cream fringe. The previously "horrendous" mirrored wardrobe doors have been replaced with a more sophisticated, framed version featuring perspex handles from Matilda Goad. "I didn’t do anything to the interiors of the wardrobes, just changed the doors, but it’s transformed them," she says. This highlights how simple cosmetic changes can have a significant impact on a room's overall aesthetic.
The adjacent bathroom is the pièce de résistance of this floor, boasting a pink heron-print wallpaper by Gucci – a design element that Samantha describes as "one of those bucket-list design things." Surprisingly, it has proven to be incredibly durable in the bathroom setting. "It’s digitally printed, not painted, so although it’s Gucci, it’s pretty bombproof." A vanity unit from Neptune and wall lights with cheerful red and white striped shades complete the look.
Also on this floor is the new study. Initially painted brown, it was quickly revitalized with a patterned wallpaper. "It was very cosy in the chocolate brown, but I would walk in there and feel something was missing. Then this Antoinette Poisson wallpaper kind of popped onto my radar," she says. The zebra-print armchair is from Samantha’s Warborough Collection.
On the floor above, a design masterstroke can be found: an alcove that once housed a hot-water tank has been cleverly converted into a small but perfectly formed laundry nook, concealed by a curtain. "It’s worked so well because you don’t really notice that it’s there," Samantha explains. "But when you pull the curtain back, all the bed linen is stacked on a shelving unit to the right of the machines, and there are pull-out drawers with all the washing stuff. There’s a really clever little pull-out shelf that fits in between the washing machine and the dryer, so that you’ve got a surface to fold the laundry on – it’s the best thing ever." This demonstrates the power of thoughtful space planning and creative problem-solving in design.
The girls' bedrooms are also located on this floor – one painted pink, the other covered in Bird and Thistle wallpaper by Brunschwig & Fils. The charming bathroom features blue and white floor tiles that Samantha designed for Bert & May, along with marble wall tiles with a scallop edge that echoes the frame of the mirror, and wall lights with rattan shades from Pooky.
Her daughters are now grown up and, she says, have "flown the coop, and I miss them so much – although they come back often." She has further plans to tweak the house in line with the lifestyle she now has. For example, given the kitchen's newfound popularity as a social hub, the dining room might be transformed into a library. But for now, she is simply enjoying living in the sophisticated home with the colorful, "piled-on" aesthetic that has been so long in the making.
But here's where it gets controversial... Some might argue that such a dramatic transformation, completely reversing a previous design aesthetic, is wasteful or impractical. Others might say it's a testament to the evolving nature of personal style and the importance of creating a home that truly reflects one's current needs and desires. What do you think? Is it ever "too much" to renovate? And how often should we truly update our living spaces to stay aligned with our changing lives? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
