Grade 1 Richmond Home
Located within a rare Grade I-listed early Georgian terrace in Richmond, southwest London, this remarkable home sits on the historic grounds of the former Richmond Palace- once home to Elizabeth I.
Built in the early 18th century as a residence for one of the ladies-in-waiting of the Princess of Wales, the house’s architectural and cultural significance called for the utmost care, precision, and respect. Sims Hilditch was asked to transform this historic building into a relaxed family home with scope for more formal entertaining.
The architecture is a fine example of the early Georgian period, with an understated and elegant façade that spans five windows across the first and second floors. Initially approached to assist with decoration and furnishing, it quickly became apparent that a more comprehensive transformation was needed. In close collaboration with Darren Price of ADAM Architecture, we embarked on a full restoration, including rewiring, replumbing, and the sensitive repair of original features that had suffered with time.
Tackling the restoration of a house of this stature requires a steady hand. The paperwork, planning permissions and involvement of Historic England, as well as the close observations of the local conservation officer, mean everything takes more time and must meet a very exacting standard. Our focus was to honour the history of the property while gently nudging it into the 21st century with more practical layouts and increased storage, ensuring it functioned more fluidly for our busy clients who often work from home.
Decoratively, our clients wanted a home that felt like a country house in a London setting, using lots of fresh shades of green, a favourite colour, and a mix of antique furniture alongside contemporary designs. We collaborated on ideas of colours and fabrics and introduced an art consultant to help put together a collection of pictures and paintings. With a substantial book collection—and more to be acquired along the way—one of our missions was to maximise the amount of shelf space available in every room.
The front door opens into a panelled entrance hall with an original fireplace. To build in as much flexibility as possible, this room now doubles as a dining room with a handsome globe pendant hanging over a round table that can extend into an oval as required. A pair of window seats create extra perching spaces while entertaining or to quietly enjoy while watching the world go by on the green outside.
The kitchen presented a design challenge: to create a beautiful yet functional space within a historic setting. As we couldn’t touch the original panelling and none of the walls were perfectly straight, we constructed an internal skin to house the new joinery. The bay window was the perfect setting for a dining nook and existing alcoves have been turned into useful store cupboards for dry goods.
Adjacent to the kitchen is an informal family room with a table in the window which can also act as somewhere for the family to eat together or for the children to tackle their homework. Here, our clients wanted a relaxed space with a large television and a deep, comfortable sofa. We restored some of the original joinery and designed more to accommodate additional tableware and glassware. Here and elsewhere in the house, the floorboards were taken up, given a light sanding and resealed. Where any of the boards were too damaged by woodworm, we set about sourcing replacements that dated as closely as possible to the original construction of the house.
The first of two studies stands in what had previously been used as a dining room. While a handsome work-from-home space with a traditional partners desk and plenty of storage for books, it also turns into a music room for the three children, who all play the piano. Again, the joinery looks built-in, but we had to take the same approach of designing a structure that sits independently of the walls. The second study adjoins the principal bedroom and drawing room on the first floor. The room is subtly zoned with a desk at one end and an informal meeting area at the other. A feminine space, there are delicately patterned blinds at the windows and a rug bringing hues of blues and pinks.
Upstairs, a distinctive feature of the house is that all the fireplaces are in the corners of the rooms. The principal bedroom has a lovely scale with two windows overlooking the garden. We designed the bed in-house with an oversized headboard in deep green velvet bordered by piping in rust red. Panels of linen wallpaper introduce softness and texture to the space; we were delighted when planning permission was granted for this detail. The addition of the tall antique chest of drawers adds a lived-in feel to the room. We took a very gentle approach to the main bathroom, keeping the cast iron bath in place while bringing in two bespoke vanities, upgrading the existing joinery and integrating new lighting.
The formal drawing room is also on this first floor with walls painted in a rich and warm sage green. As opposed to very detailed and skirted pieces usually found in a country house setting, we chose furniture with crisp and elegant silhouettes which are upholstered in plain fabrics of cream and indigo blue. A television is hidden within a Chinese cabinet and a large chandelier sets off the scale of the room.
At the top of the house are the three girls’ bedrooms. Here, we reorganised the layout, moving the family bathroom so that the bedrooms were all of the same size. They are large, so we brought in elements to make the spaces cosier, such as four-poster beds and added ottomans for storage. All the curtains are deliberately designed to pool on the floor. It’s a technique that helps visually compensate for the uneven levels in this very old property.
We deliberately changed the decorative tempo of the rooms on the lower ground floor, which are altogether more rustic and more playful than the grander nature of the rooms above. This area is home to a guest bedroom and bathroom as well as a classic country-style boot room. The terrace of houses was constructed within the grounds of Richmond Palace and some of the original palace cellars are incorporated. As a result, the cellar space is highly protected by Historic England who insisted we maintain the original floors made of sand. To make the best use of this room, we designed wine storage by slotting the bottle racks into the original cubby holes. As these aren’t fitted in, they can be easily removed without damaging the original construction.
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