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An Alchemy of Opposites – 8 Holland Street
Originally two mews houses and an artist’s studio, this property has been transformed by 8 Holland Street into a distinctive home for a young family – one that celebrates furniture and art from different periods, reflecting founder Tobias Vernon’s deep knowledge of, and passion for, art history.
The result is a characterful layered home that plays with opposites: from white walls with hits of bold colour, hard surfaces such as concrete floors combined with rich textures of handwoven rugs, and a collection of art that combines Vernon’s curatorial eye with the quirks of personal taste.
In the living room, the signature Christopher Farr rug, Chan Chan, hand-knotted in handspun wool, brings the seating area together. The design has been recoloured to complement the chestnut leather of the Marcel Breuer Cesca chairs and the grass-green dining table, alongside the Thierry oak cabinet by Guillerme et Chambron, the mid-century furniture makers.
Graphic elements come together in the living room, with a Robyn Denny canvas as the focal point. Its lines complement the striped fabric of the modular sofa, while the Christopher Farr rug, Fired Earth, adds earthy colour and texture to define the seating area.
Inspired by Le Corbusier’s colour palette, the bedroom uses the furnishings and door to introduce blocks of colour, while the Christopher Farr rug, Etude Ligne 1941, provides a neutral canvas. The design is taken directly from an original pencil-on-paper work by artist Sophie Taeuber-Arp, from her later series. The rug recreates the artwork’s curved and linear pencil marks through subtle changes in pile height.
Interior design: 8 Holland Street
Photography: Boz Gagovski
Read more in the September issue of House and Garden magazine