Turning This Georgian Townhouse Into a Home

Images by Lucy Walters Photography

From drafty windows to creaking floors, flaking paint to unreliable electrics, Admirals House in the Cotswolds desperately needed a little love. Luckily, its brave new owners were ready to take on the challenge. They just needed a little bit of help. And we knew just the woman for the job: Colour Curator and interiors aficionado, Joa Studholme. Plus, experienced construction company, Barr Build, to help with some of the more drastic changes.

Today, we’re taking a tour of the freshly renovated property with Joa herself as our guide. Although we’ll be moving from room to room, this transformation looked at the big picture to bring Admirals House back to its former glory. Every colour was chosen to create a collective palette that celebrates the unique proportions and heritage feel of the house, as Joa explains:

“I worked on the property as a whole, giving cohesiveness and flow to the overall scheme."

Often considered the heart of the home, the kitchen was also the heart of this renovation. The team started completely afresh to make the best use of the kitchen, pantry and scullery. After a complete refit of bespoke cabinetry by Barr Kitchens, the space was painted in Slipper Satin , Old White and Off-White to complement the natural light and stone walls.

This soft colour scheme flows beautifully into the bolder shades of the pantry and scullery beyond, as Joa explains: 

“I particularly like the pantry and boot room, which are boldly painted in Smoked Trout and Treron, respectively. The stronger colours in these 'lesser' spaces feel very authentic and give both rooms real character.”

Throughout the rest of the downstairs, Joa used Slipper Satin on the architraves, shutters and ceiling roses to enhance their detail and set the tone for the other colours in the space. The hallway walls are painted in French Gray to gently link the house with the surrounding gardens. As you walk through the house, French Gray seamlessly shifts to the deeper grey green, Treron to create a cosy family snug. 

Joa opted for rich, inviting shades in the more formal spaces downstairs, to create rooms that feel both sophisticated and welcoming. In the sitting room, she used warm, earthy Jitney while in the dining room, decadent De Nimes adorns the walls. 

Upstairs, Joa chose colours to echo the sky and leafy foliage visible through the windows. The main bedrooms and bathrooms are painted in Pigeon, Mizzle and Oval Room Blue, while the darker Inchyra Blue creates the perfect atmosphere in the media room.

In the guest bedrooms, Joa used one of our favourite techniques for disguising low ceilings and awkward angles — colour drenching. Taking Old White across every surface in one and Setting Plaster in the other, both spaces feel bigger and more open. We always recommend our Dead Flat finish for this technique, as the multi-surface benefit means you can use the same pot for the entire transformation.