To achieve the desired neatness, the walls were painted white, and the floors either flagged or painted dove grey. The jumble of rooms, added to the house over the years, has been unified by bringing all the ceilings to the same height to create “a clear, calm, easy living space”, Barnard says.
Rather than deny the house’s former existence, Sainsot has kept the large shop windows. They now have frosted glass, which prevents stares from nosy passers-by by lets a huge amount of light into the drawing room and dining room beyond.
To counter the tasteful neutrals, Barnard used splashes of colour and swirling patterns. In the upstairs loo, for instance you are struck by the Neisha Crosland wallpaper, which echoes the hues of the world map that hangs on the upper landing. “We had a feng-shui lady round, who said the map should be in the middle of the house,” says Sainsot, who has hung her father’s collection of historic travel posters throughout the house.