It’s no wonder the elegant façade of this 1790 terrace in north London drew Ochre co-founder Solenne de la Fouchardière and her husband Simon Lee, managing director at wholesale tableware company Canvas Home, with its grace. Located on a charming, tree-lined historical street, the six-story house is one of the lucky few to have escaped devastation during the Second World War. “It has many assets,” says de la Fouchardière of the original cobbled pavement and period features of the property. “You feel calmer just coming home.”
Inside, the style pendulum swings toward spare minimalism and artisanal design. Nothing is too fluffy, nor is it too grand. “We adapted our furnishings to suit the fabric of the house,” describes de la Fouchardière who cherry-picked favorite Ochre and Canvas Home pieces to suit the setting. “Our design is elevated yet hopefully still homely,” de la Fouchardière explains. “My daughter wishes we had cream-colored carpets everywhere but we ripped them all out. I just don’t like carpets, they are a big ocean of color.”
The kitchen is the most striking room of the interior, with its ultra-modern burners by PITT and bespoke units made from reclaimed Austrian chalet beams. Details such as the floor lamp and ‘table add further individuality – breaking the mould of a kitchen being something that performs a totally functional role. “The cobbles are not great for shoes, in retrospect, as they are so uneven,” says de la Fouchardière, “but they are so warm with the underfloor heating and give so much texture. It feels very us.”
Here’s a tour:
Photography Yuki Sugiura courtesy of Ochre
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