Changes are always a reason… to re-glue the wallpaper! At least that’s the opinion of the family of Hannah Cecil Gurne, who herself made repairs in her London home

Hannah Cecil Gurney with her son George, awaiting the birth of twins. Sofa upholstery made of Dedar fabric.

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DOUGLAS FRIEDMAN

In the family of the owner of the English brand of handmade panoramic wallpaper de Gournay, Claude Cecil Gurney, replenishment: his youngest daughter Hannah (Hannah Cecil Gurney) had twins – Oscar and Scarlett. The young parents prepared for this event in advance by completely updating the interior of their house in the London district of Battersea. “When we found this Victorian mansion four years ago, it seemed very spacious to us,” says Hannah. — We moved out of a small apartment. And now there are a lot of us, and there is barely enough space again!”

Living room. Coco Coromandel wallpaper with hand-painted on rice paper, de Gournay. On the left is an 18th-century sofa upholstered in antique fabric, on the right is a sofa, de Gournay. Sconce, designed by Carlo Scarpa, Venini. Carpet, Jennifer Manners. Curtains made of wild silk, de Gournay.

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DOUGLAS FRIEDMAN

The previous owner left behind an ascetic bachelor interior: he put modern frames on the windows, removed part of the moldings, stucco decor. “We dreamed of a cozy English house with all the traditional attributes, so we rewound the film and put everything back in place: both the sash windows and the molded cornices,” says Hannah. – Expanded the kitchen, made an additional window. Of course, they put a large table at which you can seat 12 people. We have a big family now.”

Canteen. Wallpaper Sans Soucis on silk shade Gun Metal, de Gournay. The ornament was supplemented with embroidery specifically for this project. Table, antiques, XVII century. The chairs are custom-made and upholstered in Crewelwork, Bennison fabric. Sconce Gilbert, Balineum.

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DOUGLAS FRIEDMAN

“The floral pattern made the room look like a veranda covered with greenery”

Kitchen. Wallpaper Sans Soucis on silk shade Gun Metal, de Gournay. Facades of cabinets of a purple shade, Papers & Paints paint.

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DOUGLAS FRIEDMAN

Hannah decided to do the interior design herself. The hostess gave the main role to the hand-painted wallpaper of her own brand, which became a spectacular background for furniture and art. “The theme of the interior is my love of color—” she says. – For me, the palette is of great importance. I intentionally painted my house with colors that make me a little happier. You open the door — and the mood immediately rises!” The most attention went to the children’s rooms. There are two of them in the house: for the firstborn George and newborn twins.

Hannah Cecil Gurney with her husband Edward Harden and son George in the bedroom. (At the time of publication, twins Oscar and Scarlett appeared in the family.) At the feet is a beloved pet collie named Jiminy Cricket. Wallpaper, de Gournay, the Askew design found in the archive from the first collection of the 1980s was modified specifically for this project. The bed, de Gournay.

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DOUGLAS FRIEDMAN

“Children love fairy tales, so I wanted the interior to tell them fascinating stories too,” says Hannah. For example, looking at the wallpaper with marine life, little George learned the word “turtle”. The wallpaper in the children’s bedrooms is covered with a protective glaze, and if the children decide to paint the turtle orange, the pencil is easy to erase. Wallpaper in the bathroom is protected from moisture: you can play and splash around without fear of damaging the walls and spoiling the drawing.

Children’s room. Wallpaper Underwater Scene, de Gournay. Bed, XVIII century, restored and covered with fabric, Dedar.

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DOUGLAS FRIEDMAN

There are a lot of antiques in the house — some of the items moved from the house of Hannah’s father, who has a large collection, the hostess found others herself on antique ruins in France and Italy. “I like how the 18th-century sofa in the living room looks next to a modern one made to order in our workshop. Right there on the wall are lamps from the 1950s by Carlo Scarpa. And I deliberately did not re-equip the seat with a modern fabric. Antique textiles with signs of the time look even more beautiful. The antique thing continues to live, and does not gather dust in the museum. I even let the dogs sit on it.”

Children’s room. Wallpaper African Savannah, de Gournay. Elephant chair and table, designed by Mark Veno, EO. Carpet, Christopher Farr.

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DOUGLAS FRIEDMAN

“Looking at the wallpaper with marine life, George learned the word “turtle”“

Children’s room. Wallpaper African Savannah, de Gournay.

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DOUGLAS FRIEDMAN

The bedroom is decorated in a warm peach color scheme. Hannah searched for a suitable wallpaper for a long time and eventually found them in her father’s archive. One of the first samples, invented back in the 1980s, was adapted for a new home. A lot of furniture – with hidden doors and built-in drawers. “An ottoman in the eldest son’s bedroom, a bench in the living room, another ottoman in the bathroom — all these are actually hiding places for tons of toys, shoes and even musical instruments.”

A fragment of the living room. The walls are covered with Coco Coromandel wallpaper with hand-painted on rice paper, de Gournay. Armchairs in the style of Louis XVI, de Gournay, upholstered in Pierre Frey fabric. Carpet, design by Paul Leleu, Maison Leleu.

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DOUGLAS FRIEDMAN

“I painted the house with colors that make me happier”

Hall. The wall is upholstered in silk with hand embroidery designed by Alessandra Branca, de Gournay. Antique chairs, upholstery made of Pazl fabric, Dedar. Table lamps, 1950s.

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DOUGLAS FRIEDMAN

The palette of the kitchen is even more saturated than in the living room and bedroom: the hostess chose a purple shade for the facades of the cabinets, combining it with green. Floral ornament makes the room look like a verandah in a garden covered with greenery. “I’m not afraid of saturated colors,” says Hannah. — In the city, I lack greenery, flowering, a sense of the proximity of nature. That’s why I planted my garden in rooms right on the walls, animating them. The interior was created largely impulsively, but it turned out to be creative and energetic. I hope my children will appreciate our efforts.” www.degournay.com

Bathroom. Wallpaper Early Views of India, covered with a moisture-resistant protective compound, de Gournay. Bra, Vaughan.

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DOUGLAS FRIEDMAN

Bathroom. Flamingos wallpaper, covered with a moisture-resistant protective compound, de Gournay. Faucets, Catchpole & Rye. The tile is made to order, Mosaic del Sur.

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DOUGLAS FRIEDMAN

Kananykina Elena

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