Candy stripes and pom poms: how interior designer Laura Stephens used pattern and texture to transform her tired Dulwich home

From fringed leopard print cushions to pink candy stripe curtains, from the moment you step into interior designer Laura Stephens’ south London home, it’s clear that this is a family that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Laura, 44, describes her Edwardian semi in North Dulwich as “traditional but not stuffy”, and it’s an appraisal that’s bang on the money.

Timeless touches abound, from William Morris wallpaper and elegant brushed metal handleware to classic wall sconces, but each is delivered with a twist. In this house, refined curtain fabrics are served up with informal pom pom trims.

“It’s taken me a while to hone my style, but this house has allowed me to refine it in subtle ways,” says Laura, who shares her home with husband Luke, also 44, a tech program manager, and daughters Daisy, 15, Tessa, 13, and Skye, 7.

“We wanted to be true to its character while adding an air of informality and fun.”

That easy elegance is achieved via a palette of pale pinks, gentle blues and soft neutrals, shot through with the occasional vibrant colour pop in the form of a mustard lamp stand or a dense, intricately patterned wallpaper.

Underpinning it all is a pared-back base featuring plenty of natural wood, parquet flooring and simple metal hardware.

Changing careers...and kitchens

”Initially, we were looking for a place to renovate from scratch,” explains Laura, a former geography teacher, who formally re-trained in interior design after the birth of Daisy.

She and Luke were keen to do up a forever home, but when they spotted this house six years ago, its bones were already in good shape.

“It needed more cosmetic work than structural,” says Laura. “But it did feature the standard tired interiors, magnolia walls and damp kitchen. Despite that, we walked in and loved it.”

So, for the next four years, the family took time to settle, making only minimal tweaks. “Living in the space for that long was a useful exercise,” reflects Laura. “It taught us that your initial desires can change over time.

“For example, I was convinced I wanted a large utility-cum-boot room, but we realised that an additional family room for our growing daughters was a much better use of space.”

Eventually, Luke and Laura also decided to overhaul the long, narrow kitchen – a product of the middle room having previously been knocked through into the original space.

“It was large but dark and we found ourselves having to light it even on a summer’s day,” recalls Laura.

So, the couple commissioned an elegant, orangery-like side extension. “We opted for that because we wanted to preserve as much of the rear space as we could, including the original coloured stained glass rear doors that sold the house to us in the first place.’”

The pair decided to sink the steel from the new extension into the ceiling for a clean look.

“It involved much more work, but we wanted to create a sense that it could have been built at the same time as the house,” Laura explains. “Not having any exposed steel supports was key.”

The project, completed three years ago, involved long weeks with no kitchen at all, followed by a temporary setup in the main bedroom which saw the family eating on the bed most evenings.

“That was tough, but so worth it. The new space is now filled with light.”

Open shelving instead of wall cabinets, antique French lighting, a generous island and raw wood elements lend this kitchen a relaxed, fresh feel.

“I designed an island featuring s-shaped curving and without a hob or a sink, so that it looks rather like a huge, vintage butcher’s block,” says Laura. “We love it.’”

Other signature touches include an elegant scalloped sofa bench complete with practical drawer storage, plus plenty of painted easy-on-the-eye joinery throughout the house, including the playroom, with its pale blue scheme, and the main bedroom, with its glass fronts fitted with gathered fabric.

The power of pattern and texture

Pattern and texture are repeating motifs throughout. “I like to take classic designs, whether a Colefax and Fowler fabric or signature Cole & Son wallpaper and give them a fresh twist by way of a trimming or a contrasting fabric,” says Laura.

“For example, the richly botanical curtains in our bedroom are held in check by a subtle, smart candy-striped pink wallpaper. It’s a way of lending classic design an unfussy air.”

Recently, Laura decided to overhaul the sitting room, because its chenille and velvet colour scheme no longer chimed with the rest of the house.

“We did up that room when we first moved in, but recently I hankered after a warmer, more inviting scheme with practical fabrics – especially since we acquired Lulu, our miniature daschund, during lockdown.’”

So now, a trad sofa is upholstered in smart stripes by Tori Murphy, complemented by sand tones and pops of pale pink and mustard yellow.

Upstairs, the girls’ bedrooms feature pretty but timeless wallpapers, from paisley-printed to star-studded, while vintage desks and iron bedsteads are a clever way of making sure the rooms don’t date as they grow up.

Though this house is laden with pattern and texture, it carries off the look with the lightest of touches.

“I loved being able to combine all my ideas in one setting,” says Laura. “But I didn’t want our house to feel precious. It had to function as a lived-in and loved home.”

The family now gathers round the table each night for supper and spends weekends playing board games in the playroom, where the removal of the chimney breast has allowed for copious storage, housed within smart, duck-egg-painted joinery.

“I’m always tweaking the look,” says Laura. “I can’t resist a good tablescape or an interesting mantel – but that’s what keeps living here so interesting.”