Our Patch february 2015
Before
& After
Interior designer Rowena Vaughan had
an unusual request to create an ensuite
in a Victorian terraced Hammersmith home
T
he smallest room is often
the one with the biggest
number of requirements.
No house is complete
without a comfortable
bathroom, and it is
surprisingly important with buyers or
renters who are looking at your home.
So when veteran interior designer
Rowena Vaughan of RJV Designs was
approached by a Hammersmith
homeowner to turn an unloved storage
room into a slick new ensuite, she
jumped at the chance.
“I have my own family,” Rowena
says. “And I know that storage is king!
So when the client said she wanted to
move her cupboards into the new
ensuite while creating a bathroom that
would be both traditional and
welcoming, I could instantly picture it.
“It was an unusual request in the
Victorian block of flats. But for her
lifestyle it was the correct thing to do.”
Rowena’s first task was to sort out the
plumbing. Aided by having an external
wall, she turned to designing an interior
set of shutters that would double as a
mirror over the sink.
“The mirrored glass was custom-built
to provide privacy behind the window,
which was great as it didn’t require
removing the existing sash window,
which would not have been allowed by
planning rules and is also great for
ventilation in the bathroom.
“The biggest problem was the lack of
right angles in the room! It is always
the case in Victorian properties locally.
It drove the carpenter crazy as we had
to measure, measure and check the
measuring over and over again. We are
still speaking, so that’s something at
least,” Rowena says with a smile.
The pair set to work designing an
entirely new and custom-built set of
wardrobes for the room, which feature
some fancy inlay tiles to break up the
lines and reflect the bathroom
environment.
“The client was not a modernist,”
Rowena explains. “She likes antiques
and wanted something white with a
clean finish, while the moulding allows
it to look more traditional.
Under foot, it was Rowena’s advice
and knowledge of products that led the
client to chose an innovative new
bamboo flooring system. “It’s
impervious to water because it’s made
out of what is essentially grass, not
wood,” Rowena beamed.
“But the architect didn’t believe me.
So he put the sample in water for a
month. Then he believed me...”
Based in Fulham, Rowena has been
working on renovation schemes in
homes in west London for more than
20 years. And in that time, she’s
developed one simple rule. “Around
here, always get the interior designer in
long before the architect.
“After all, the houses are already
built. They just need someone who
kno