Instead, they drafted in architect Billy Sinclair, the director of Sinclair Studios, who started to look into options that involved using as much as possible of the existing building while also improving its energy efficiency. The owners then enlisted Nicola to work out how the series of confusing rooms could be reconfigured for a more coherent feeling. Thus the process of creative replanning began. ‘Some people go to bed and do Sudoku, but I love walking through spaces in my mind and reorganising them,’ she says. ‘I get a huge sense of satisfaction from taking the brief of how a client wants to live and rethinking a space to make it fit.’
The bleak and uninviting entrance hall was remodelled with a new staircase and a large window was introduced to bring in natural light. But it is Nicola’s discerning eye for storied items that helps to give the space its spirit. Nearly half of the pieces chosen for the house are vintage and antique. This includes the striking pendant in the hall – a French street light – that hangs over a central table. A second staircase was removed to allow for an additional study, which doubles as a television room. And a dingy corridor between the kitchen and drawing room was transformed into a bar area. It has an antique light, vintage rope chairs and striped textiles on the stools.
When Nicola did source new pieces, she was intentional with her choices and all of them were crafted in small UK workshops: ‘I’m mindful of where things come from, how they’re made and how they’ll stand the test of time. And I’m careful to work with suppliers who share my values.’ These include Vanderhurd, Howe London, Soane Britain and Matthew Cox, as well as her own homeware line, NiX by Nicola Harding. Even the Pure & Original paint was chosen because it is water-based with organic pigments: ‘My clients were really engaged with the idea of buying things from local makers and championing British craftspeople, even if it was the more expensive option.’
The kitchen, which has been repositioned to be more central in the house, has Plain English cabinetry and there is a hard-working back-of-house area. The drawing room is a masterful composition of colour and textiles, and has several sitting areas. ‘I love creating intimate spaces, even in a larger room like this,’ says Nicola, explaining it had a number of openings, which made it feel transient. So she proposed shutting off one door and replacing it with a round window, with a seat below overlooking the garden.
