A recent family trip took us to the big smoke (London) for an evening of theatre, football and a stay in a tall thin townhouse in Camden. A labyrinth of bedrooms, stairs, nooks and crannies with something to find at every turn.
The old vintage wardrobe in our bedroom at the top of the house has been upcycled in a very chippy fashion which sits well on the painted floorboards. Different rugs of all shapes, colours and yarns make the room cosy. A retro wooden starburst clock, reminiscent of the 1950s, hangs above the brass bedstead next to a hammered pewter dressing table with its petite gold and royal blue chair – everything mismatching beautifully.
The furniture in the room has clearly been gathered from many sources, was not part of a set and did not match but that was the beauty of the room. Everything blended sufficiently. This was the ensemble theme throughout the house.
The single room next door, with its tubular hospital bed, has flamingos stood one-legged in amongst Latin American tribal scatter cushions and alongside a vibrant art deco conical uplight. The woven wall hanging (Scandinavian??) on one wall, a young boy in blue by the sea (in Italy??) on the other. What a jumble of, err … jumble! But it is peaceful and welcoming.
The other rooms have their plethora of styles not jostling for position but sitting harmoniously together. A mid-century modern Schreiber dressing table with an opulent shell occasional chair and picture frame from IKEA. And why not?
Down in the basement, the collection of treasure continues. A north African leather pouffe with a couple of modern sofa-beds and TV cabinet. 19C industrial prints hang alongside Aubrey Beardsley’s art nouveau ‘Publicity poster for the Yellow Book’ alongside TinTin book covers. Nick-nacks a-plenty from all four corners of the globe are displayed without verging on Victorian-esq clutter. A good balance.
Venture outside and sit under an arch beneath the Camden High Street next to a lifesize plastic sheep. No words…
Rightly or wrongly, it worked for me. A multitude of styles, eras, moods, tastes and colours all in the one house. Needless to say, I recommend this Airbnb to anyone who doesn’t mind stairs.
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