How to maximise space in a small London flat, without renovating

 Step across the threshold of Hattie Hansard’s west London apartment and you’re greeted by a space that feels quintessentially English, without any attendant stuffiness.

Despite its diminutive size, it’s decorated with bold brushstrokes, including plenty of textiles, large-scale botanical prints, grounding colours and a collection of interesting pieces, giving the two-bed space a feeling of relaxed grandeur more reminiscent of a country retreat than a hardworking urban home.

Located above a bakery and a dry-cleaners on a busy street, the flat occupies the top two floors of a Victorian building. With a layout that has a sitting room and kitchen in the eaves and bedrooms below, every inch of space has been carefully thought out, enabling the maximalist approach of this self-confessed ‘enthusiastic decorator’ to shine.

“I looked at nearly 50 properties before unearthing this one,” says Hattie, 28, the daughter of the interior designer Joanna Wood, whose eponymous practice is known for producing classic English schemes. “Having looked at bigger places further out, I realised that something smaller but closer to the action suited me better. I knew if I could find a home with plenty of light, I could compromise on proportion.”

Spotted during a 1am scroll on her phone, the flat had been sitting on the market for months. “Everyone counselled against buying above a shop, but I instantly liked it,” she says. “It had once been owned by an architect who had got the fundamentals just right, including adding a staircase with floating treads and a skylight in the eaves to channel light all the way down through three floors.

“He had squared off the eaves room, introducing clever built-in storage and window seats. Since then, it had been rented out and poorly treated, but I knew that if I stripped it back to basics and used my budget wisely, it would make the perfect home.” 

Here’s how she did it.

First floor landing

“The idea was to maximise the proportions of this space, which meant letting the bones shine,” says Hattie. “The entrance has the biggest window in the flat, so I didn’t want to restrict light by adding curtains or blinds.”

The floorboards are painted in Farrow & Ball’s Railings and the walls are in Nile Blue by Andrew Martin. A clever find is the mirrored wall-hung coat and hat rack, from the Joanna Wood shop, which helps to bounce light around the space and make it feel more expansive.

The South Asian decorative masks were picked up at auction and the wooden key stand originally belonged to Hattie’s mother. A chair, decorated by Hattie’s sister, interior designer Leo Wood, is a favourite treasure. Clever storage is key to making this area feel streamlined: “Above the front door, we managed to fit in suitcase storage, while paints, pots and spare rolls of wallpaper are stowed under the stairs,” says Hattie.

Main bedroom

With french windows leading to a small terrace, this could have been a tricky space to decorate. “Instead I decided to lean into that secret garden vibe by papering the walls in Lewis & Wood’s Beech Trees, to give the feeling of a woodland bower,” says Hattie. “It felt fitting, as the sun rises on this side of the house.”

To save on funds, she kept the existing floor-to-ceiling joinery, and added an architectural trim, painting it in Farrow & Ball’s Slipper Satin and adding knobs from Matilda Goad. Space-saving features include wall-mounted bedside reading lights and a pair of small tables from Sunbury Antiques Market. The chest of drawers and the nursing chair re-covered in silk, both from her childhood bedroom, add charm; the portrait above the chest has been left unframed, “because it feels more modern that way,” says Hattie.

Balcony

Overlooking the street’s rear gardens, the compact terrace is a crucial slice of outside space. “It might not seem the most practical, because it leads off the bedroom rather than a living area, but I’ve found it surprisingly sociable,” says Hattie. “Friends hang out here while I cook or get ready, and I generally have the doors open morning and evening.”

Lattice screening was added either side for privacy, and the pine benches were made to size by a dealer Hattie met at Sunbury Antiques Market, then painted in Farrow & Ball’s French Gray. “I love the countryside feel, and yet I’m surrounded by community,” she says. “The bakery downstairs takes in my parcels and has a spare key – it’s the best of both worlds.”

En-suite bathroom

This room was completely stripped out in order to add a bath, but essentials including the mirrored medicine cabinet and the tall radiator with hooks were saved. “I’m a great believer in preserving things where you can, and those pieces made perfect sense for a small space,” explains Hattie.

The Crema Marfil marble was sourced from a local stone dealer (“search online for what you like and then wait for a sale or find an outlet, which is what I did,” Hattie advises), and an off-cut was used to make a shelf above the loo. She opted for floating fittings from CP Hart to create the illusion of space, and painted the walls in Little Greene’s Confetti.

Spare bedroom

Described by Hattie as having “the worst feng shui ever”, this room required the most ingenious approach. Previously, a cupboard took up the space now occupied by the bedhead, making the layout feel cramped. 

Hattie asked her joiner to create a simple wardrobe. Its doors are inset with offcuts of a Philip Jeffries wallpaper that gives the effect of a rattan finish, for texture and softness. The bed is upholstered in Lewis & Wood’s Selsley Stripe in Heather and the walls are painted in Melisse des Bois by Argile.

“My mother gave me lots of good advice, such as adding bookshelves to the asymmetrical recess rather than filling it in, and to spend money on the elements that can’t be easily restored once you’ve moved in, such as windows, kitchens and bathrooms,” says Hattie.

Sitting room

The key to the success of this room lies in plenty of open and concealed storage, from the ceiling-high bookcases built into the eaves, to the hidden push-latch cupboard on the right of the fireplace. It’s softened with generous free-standing pieces, including an antique armoire, which houses the television.

“Absolutely everything has to work for its keep because this space acts as a sitting room, study, dining area, bar and kitchen rolled into one,” notes Hattie. “For example, the eaves shelves are surprisingly deep, so behind the pieces on display are vases, tablecloths and bedding. I added upholstered pads to the window seats too – handy for guests.”

Hattie installed a gas fireplace, using off-cuts from the composite stone kitchen counter to create a slim but smart surround. Storage options nailed, she focused on bringing in character via furniture and accessories including an antique rug, a Noguchi coffee table by Vitra and a pair of ginger jars, which she turned into lamp bases.