So much of being an interior designer is about understanding your client. You want to design a space that feels reflective of them, incorporating elements of their personal style and interests. A lot of the role involves setting your own tastes aside and putting yourself in the mind of your client. So what happens then, when your client is yourself?
This was the question Katie Edmondson, founder of De La Warr Design, was left to answer when designing her own loft conversion. And for her, the answer lay in a return to simplicity. When design is your job, it’s so easy to become absorbed by the constantly changing trend cycle, with new, beautiful ideas flooding your feed day after day. The challenge for Katie was stepping away from this. “Working in interiors, I’m constantly exposed to trends, and it was important to me that the scheme felt current but not trend-led, especially in the bathroom, where I look at spaces all day, every day,” Katie explains. “I wanted something that would still feel right in 10 years.”
Dominating the top floor of a Victorian semi-detached home in London’s Walthamstow, this loft conversion saw an unused attic transformed into a luxurious primary bedroom, complete with a private balcony, en-suite bathroom, and an easy-breezy design style that speaks to the designer’s desire for timeless elegance.
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The Inspiration
Exposed wooden beams on the ceiling bring some warmth and depth to the room.
(Image credit: Alexandria Hall. Design: De La Warr Design)
Spending every day discussing dream homes via design consultations and workshopping ideas for her e-design packages, there was no shortage of inspiration for Katie to work from — the greater challenge was narrowing it all down.
Avoiding the risk of becoming overwhelmed, Katie found herself drawn to a more subtle style. “I actually kept coming back to something far more simple — a muted palette, lots of textures within materials and light,” she explains.
Opting for a neutral bedroom scheme allowed Katie to design herself a calming retreat, a top priority for her. “We have two young children, and I really wanted to create somewhere calm to retreat to, even for a stolen moment in the day,” Katie explains. So much of the design was led by a vision of a particular lifestyle, as opposed to a clear-cut style. “I knew I wanted the bed to face the window so I could lie there in the morning with a cup of tea and watch the trees move. A little bit of tranquility whilst living in London,” she says.
Although this space sits at the highest point of the home, somewhat detached from the rest, thanks to the modern architecture of the design, it was still important to feel it was cohesive with the rest of the home. This was largely achieved through the color scheme, explains Katie. “The colors are actually an extension of what I already use throughout our home; muted reds, rusts, pinks, blues, and cream. I realized quite late that I’d essentially copied my own brand palette, which made me laugh.”
So much of this design was influenced by Katie’s own work and career, especially when it came to the ensuite. “As a bathroom specialist, I knew the ensuite had to deliver on every level: storage, heating, spacing, and easy to clean,” she says. The challenge was achieving all this in such a small loft bathroom. “With such a small footprint, there was really no room for error. I look at bathrooms every day, so anything that didn’t work would have bothered me constantly.”
As well as making her especially tuned in to any potential flaws, Katie’s background also meant she had a deeper understanding of the possibilities of her space.
“My background in the building trade means I understood what was structurally possible, and I could see straight away that what this space lacked in footprint it more than made up for in ceiling height,” says Katie.
In terms of design inspiration, Katie found herself turning to Arent&Pyke. “I love their playful use of color with the strength knocked back. That sense of calm from a slightly muted palette, paired with natural and handmade materials, such as wood, stone, and zellige. But not in a rustic way, the spaces still feel polished. That really influenced me, albeit on a considerably more modest budget,” she explains.
The Process
Arched alcove shelving bring some softness into the space, too.
(Image credit: Alexandria Hall. De La Warr Design)
Before embarking on this renovation, the top floor of this home was essentially a storage room, brimming with discarded belongings. Despite this, Katie was in no doubt of what this space could become. “I’d always been aware of the potential sitting above us, the height, the light, and trees, and I really wanted to make the most of it,” she tells me.
And while the potential was there, that by no means meant the renovation would be an easy undertaking. “The planning stage was probably the longest part of the whole process,” says Katie. Before applying for planning permission, Katie worked with Shacklewell Architects to create a solid plan for the space. “Getting that nailed at the beginning meant the build itself was relatively smooth. We went from an attic to a full loft conversion with a primary bedroom, ensuite, and balcony in about five months,” she says.
As well as Shacklewell Architects, Katie also called upon George Busch Carpentry to help bring her vision to life. The team, who Katie describes as a ‘dream to work with,’ built the bespoke wardrobes and bed on-site, perfectly tailoring them for the space.
And as effortless as the bed may look, the process to get there was anything but. “It had to sit centrally in the room, both so we could use the space behind for wardrobes, and so the view out of the window was perfectly framed. Because of its position, it needed integrated electrics for lights and sockets, which meant it had to be built and upholstered entirely on-site,” explains Katie.
Blue zellige tiles bring tonal variety to the modern bathroom.
(Image credit: Alexandria Hall. De La Warr Design)
In the bathroom, too, Katie sought out suppliers who could help her achieve the luxury, spa bathroom look she wanted, while staying within budget. For this, a local supplier called Roman Stone offered a solution. “You can rifle through their offcuts to find the perfect piece for a shower niche, a shelf, or a vanity top. An affordable way to genuinely elevate the look of a space,” says Katie. Instead of investing in a full slab, offcuts can be a brilliant and cost-effective way to design your own marble bathroom.
In this room, the challenges mainly came from the amount of space available, or, more accurately, the lack thereof. They had to develop a bathroom layout that wouldn’t eat into the bedroom width, while still maintaining enough space for all the essentials. “These are the problems nobody really talks about, but they’re what bathroom design is actually about. The space is only 1.4 meters wide. There’s a pocket door at the end of the shower. The towel rail position was extremely limited.
“So I installed an underfloor heating mat inside the wall at the end of the shower to warm and dry towels, a trick I first came across via Mad About the House. Where do all the towels and bath mat actually live in a tiny bathroom? Where can I store all my products? When those small needs are genuinely met, the daily experience of a space becomes so much more pleasant.”
The Design
Katie continued the blue tones on to the balcony with this little coffee table.
(Image credit: Alexandria Hall. De La Warr Design)
Although this design is spread across three distinct entities, there is a cohesion and fluidity that makes this loft feel more like one, continuous whole. The color palette of rust and blue remains consistent throughout. First introduced by the warm tones of the red zinc balcony, the rust color is echoed in the bathroom floor tiles and the headboard fabric. The piping around the headboard, however, is the same pale, sky blue as the Zellige tiles that cover the bathroom and the rug that covers the bedroom floor.
This use of color helps to ‘zone’ the space, creating a feeling of connection that runs throughout, while ensuring each feels distinct in its own right. “The weight of color shifts across the spaces; the balcony is more red, the bedroom holds the mix, and the bathroom leans blue,” she explains.
This natural, earthy color palette helps to emphasize the generous amount of natural light this space is blessed with. “What hits you when you walk into the loft is the feeling of space and light, even in the bathroom,” says Katie. To emphasize this, Katie opted for dramatic, oversized glazing throughout, a decision that, she says, “Makes my heart sing. That feeling of expansiveness, of sky.”
In her choice of materials, too, Katie continued to refer back to nature. This can be seen through the oak woodwork, inspired by her father’s work as a carpenter, as well as the handmade, beautifully imperfect Zellige tiles covering the bathroom. “I love handmade tiles and the imperfection in materials; zellige plays into this. It’s incredibly tactile and pairs so well with marble. It brings movement and character to a bathroom, which can otherwise feel quite sterile, especially in blues and greens,” she says.
The care and consideration put into these decisions is perhaps why Katie describes the walk-in shower as her highlight of the conversion. “As someone who designs bathrooms for a living, I’m probably harder to please than most clients, so the fact that I genuinely love going in there every morning feels like the real test,” she says. “It’s full of light. I used a pony wall with glazing above rather than full glass. It makes you feel slightly more cocooned, and there’s marginally less cleaning. The continuity of flooring throughout, with no threshold to a shower tray, vanity on legs, and wall-hung toilet, makes the space feel bigger than it is.”
Get the Look
Laura Ashley
Laura Ashley White Scallop Wall Light
These lovely, scalloped wall sconces will bring an elegant softness into your room and would work with any color scheme.
Anthropologie
Layered X Evelina Kroon Berry Rain Wool Rug
Katie was on to a winner with this color combination, and this rug makes bringing it into your home even easier. Use this as your base, and pick furniture and accessories to complement it.
TOAST
Jacquard Dot Wool Blanket | Rust
Warm in tone and in nature, this lambswool blanket has an inviting soft brushed finish, and a delicate Jacquard pattern.
If this space has you considering all the potential of your own abandoned attic, you’re in the right place. We have answers to many of the questions you may have, including the cost of a loft conversion and the loft conversion mistakes to avoid.
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