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An elegant Regency house in Marylebone with a soft, light-filled interior by Anahita Rigby
“I can’t believe I live here!”, exclaimed the owner of Harley House after stepping into the recently redecorated sitting room, “I can’t believe it…” This reaction is one that interior designers delight in, proof that their clients’ decorative visions have come true and that their house is now truly—finally!—their own. It is a particularly extraordinary reaction given that the owner had already been living in the house for 20 years; proof if any were needed that interior design has the power to transform the way we live.
Designer Anahita Rigby was initially hired by the owners simply to refresh the living and dining spaces. After years of the owner’s own modifications and decorative amendments to the house, a period during which Harley House “lost its way with consistency” says Anahita, the interior designer (and trained architect – she received RIBA Part I and II degree qualifications) decided to get back to basics and let the “age of the building and its classical features” shine. At first, the designer presented architectural-style drawings for the two spaces, proposing both contemporary- and traditional-style designs wherein the living and dining rooms would no longer be separated, as formal rooms such as those were “not conductive to how the family lived,” says Anahita, “so I didn’t want to hide them away”. However, inspired by Anahita’s sketches, the owners saw potential to do more with their house: what could be done with the kitchen? The bedrooms? “It didn’t start out to be a whole project,” says Anahita, “but it turned out to be just that.”
Harley House sits on a verdant street in Marylebone, hidden behind massive, 150-year-old London plane trees. Despite being blessed with an ample number of large-paned windows – such as the beautiful bay windows at the front – “nearly all of the light was obscured,” says Anahita. By adding a glazed screen between the dining and living rooms (both of which were, pre-renovation, used infrequently), Anahita brought new life and light into the house. Additionally, she scrupulously designed the houses’ curtains to maximise the light coming in – “a little detail thought through”, she says. The use of soft, lighter paint colours also helped to illuminate the space and catch any passing ray of sunshine. “The whole point [of the initial design] was that the house be light and airy,” says Anahita, “I wanted Harley House to be liveable and family-friendly… to be a generational home in which everyone could feel comfortable. Not too traditional but appropriate.”
The living room was the first Anahita sought to overhaul, implementing a decorative scheme that would be “sensitive to the original architecture and period [of the house]”. The family already owned one Murano chandelier, for example, but it wasn’t wired in. After sourcing another nearly-identical chandelier in Italy and installing it in the living room, the family could now finally benefit from both beautiful pieces – and their light. The rest of the living room is a clever mix of high and low: the sofa hails from high-street shop Loaf, the armchairs from Arlo and Jacob and the travertine coffee table – “the owner and I loved this piece,” says Anahita – from Golborne 44. The bookshelves were designed by Anahita with the house's owners, all academics, specifically in mind; the house’s joinery, too, was all bespoke.
Also important to Anahita was ensuring the family’s antiques and various objets could be properly housed and presented (“the family has an amazing cultural heritage – they love to travel”), so she designed bespoke cabinetry and carved-out nooks to display special pieces. “There is something so nice about having older things… it makes [a house] feel lived in,” says Anahita, “That’s when houses start to feel like home – when everything isn’t brand new. When something’s worn or loved before, you can say, ‘I live in this space.’”
The design of the dining room was one on which Anahita and the owner worked closely. Hailing from a large family, the owner specified that the table must seat twelve. After searching for a table to meet these specifications, Anahita drew upon her own architecture school training and decided to design the table herself. Built by Paragon Stone and LF Custom Carpentry, the table went through six iterations of varnish mixing to match the dark stained wooden doors leading into the room. “I wanted it to look contemporary but not a million miles away… I wanted it to look like it belonged there,” she says. The chairs – original Marcel Breuer designs – were sourced from an antique shop in Hungary and re-upholstered in leather for the clients in London.
As Anahita’s redesign of Harley House continued, she took it as an opportunity to revitalise the rest of the home. The hallway, kitted out with Oriental rugs from the owner’s large collection, leads into a calm and simple kitchen with muted tones and a marble countertop. The room’s serenity is punctured only by the jagged-edged Scandinavian elm chairs surrounding the large breakfast table, an ideal design choice for the large family. The master bedroom is a colour-study of dusty pinks, reds and muted greens. The bed, bedding and furniture, too, come together to create a soft and pretty oasis.
“It’s a beautiful project, really,” reflects Anahita on Harley House, “I love it all… there was an element of trust established early on [between myself and the client], so it was truly wonderful to see my client so happy… to feel like she really lives here.”
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Ollie Tomlinson2/19The coffee table is an antique low Chinese table. Behind it stands a 1920s film tripod, which has been converted into a lamp. The cream stool to the right is the ‘Zig Zag’ from POLSPOTTEN.
Ollie Tomlinson3/19The black lacquered tray on the coffee table is the ‘Jiande’ from OKA. The flower arrangement was made by the designer.
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Ollie Tomlinson6/19In the dining room, original Marcel Breuer chairs were re-upholstered in leather for added comfort. The dining table was designed by Anahita herself and the base was custom-made by LF Custom Carpentry. The vase is a Puyi glazed ceramic one from POLSPOTTEN. The artwork over the mantel was curated by Apsara Studio, with the owner's original Murano chandelier hanging above.
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Ollie Tomlinson8/19A peek into a hallway in Harley House, where the owner's collection of Oriental rugs feature prominently.
Ollie Tomlinson9/19In the kitchen, the ceiling was uncovered during renovation to increase the room's height – the wooden beams were an accidental, but happy, discovery. The range's backsplash is made of aged copper. The cabinetry is by DeVOL and the kitchen chairs are solid elm chairs by Olavi Hänninen from Golborne 44. The fruit bowl to the right is from Paolo Moschino.
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Ollie Tomlinson11/19The curtains over the kitchen window are made in ‘Block Print 18’ by The Cloth Shop.
Ollie Tomlinson12/19The guest bathroom features wall coverings in ‘Amalfi Silk’ – colourway 'Tuscan Sun' – by Phillip Jeffries. The gold tap is from Lefroy Brookes.
Ollie Tomlinson13/19The master bedroom is undeniably comfortable. The quilted bedspread is from Day Home, the terry arm chairs from Zara Home and the trunk was found at the Sunbury antiques market in Kempton. The curtains were made in Aureli Opaline fabric and are from Black Edition.
Ollie Tomlinson14/19The headboard is upholstered in 'Branquenie Alizon Canard' by Pierre Frey. The wall lamp at the right is from Vaughan. The petite bedside table is an antique, with its marble top retro-fitted. To make use of the room's high skirting boards, kick plate skirting was used.
Ollie Tomlinson15/19In the hallway, artwork by Tomo Campbell. The onyx lamp base is from Anna Unwin and the shade is from OKA.
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Ollie Tomlinson17/19In the bathroom, bespoke taps and a mounted bath filler with hand shower are made from unlacquered brass. The bath is from CP Hart and is painted in Calke Green from Farrow & Ball.
Ollie Tomlinson18/19The bathroom's vanity is custom made by Paragon Stone. The two wall lamps are from Jim Lawrence.
Ollie Tomlinson19/19The walk-in shower features bespoke taps made from unlacquered brass. The tiles are ‘Paintbox’ from Mandarin Stone.
