An unusual London mews house brought back to life by fabric designer Neisha Crosland
‘Perhaps if you walked into this house in Paris or Italy it wouldn’t feel so special, but people arrive and their reaction is often, ‘God, is this really London?”, says the textile and pattern designer Neisha Crosland of the home she and her husband have built within the walls of an old mews in Clapham Junction. ‘We’re in an incredibly busy part of the city, but you walk through the gates and you can smell the chlorophyll from all the greenery. It's very strange actually.’
This corner of the capital, with its busy rail interchange, was badly damaged by bombing during World War II. The cobbled courtyard the couple acquired in 1993 would have originally housed the horses and carriages that served the great Georgian houses of Wandsworth Common. Now all that was left was a two-storey building in the corner of a 500 square metre plot, ‘like a postage stamp in the corner of a letter’, enclosed by 4 metre high brick walls and a scattering of dilapidated sheds. ‘It was wonderful because it felt so secluded. I remember really loving the idea of creating something that felt a bit Roman. They thought it was boring to live in the countryside because there was no culture. So in their townhouses they would create this bucolic self-contained world with gardens and frescoes and fountains.’
The project has been carried out in stages over 30 years. This is the only home Neisha has ever decorated, and it has evolved and grown alongside her career and her family. This was the house both her children were born and grew up in. Where, frustrated at not being able to find tiles or rugs she liked, she begin creating her own. Its design is an archaeology of her taste, with references widely drawn and eclectic, synthesised into a warm, balanced and joyful interior that echoes the spirit of her pattern design.
The first phase of work, carried out in 1993 and 1994, was the conversion of the existing structure into a two bedroom house, followed by establishing climbing plants up every wall. The couple’s aim was to have a view of greenery from every room. Neisha found three old factory windows and converted them into mirrors to put on the garden walls, covering them with a great vine (Vitis coignetiae) which they trained through a hole into the entrance hall, and then out again through another hole onto the front of the house. With the help of a gardener friend Sean Walters they also planted Jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides), Kiwi (Actinidia chinensis) and a Madam Alfred Carrière rose. A visit to Le Jardin d’Hiver of the Musée de la Vie Romantique in Paris was a seminal moment in the design.
‘They have a cafe there with green painted windows, covered in plants. I had a eureka moment when I visited. It had the most wonderful atmosphere. For me everything is about atmosphere really. Because the house was a totally blank canvas we needed to create a character for it.’
Around the turn of the millennium, before the birth of her second child, the couple got the chance to buy a small building next door and extended the house further. They also continued with the planting of trees on the lawn and espaliered a Parrotia persica on the west garden wall. They waited until 2005 to complete the final leg of the build. Moving out of the house for two years to carry out a ‘last big push’ with the architect Alex Greenway of Greenway and Lee. Turning a dilapidated shed into a third wing, consisting of a ground floor living room and kitchen with doors opening onto the garden, a first floor master bedroom with a bathroom and dressing room, a study and a second floor guest suite.
The space that the horse-drawn carriages would have driven through to get to the mews is now the main entrance from the street. It links the two sides of the house and has folding glass doors that open onto the walled garden beyond. Though most of the rooms are painted in neutrals, threads of colour travel through the space. Yellow, green, red, gold and silver connecting one room to the next. The colour of a collection of French confit pots displayed on an antique étagère, is picked up in a table cloth and the upholstery of a chair, and then crops up again in the adjoining living room in the flame stitch on the ottoman and the collection of cushions on the sofa. The house had ‘no redeeming architectural features’, so beams were added to the ceilings of the ground floor rooms to give warmth and character.
Pattern is of course an important part of the scheme. Neisha’s own designs pepper the place; delicate curlicues, fronds and zigzags creeping up curtains and over walls and chairs. Two golden panels of her ‘Rocket’ raffia made from metallic thread embroidered on sack cloth hang in frames on the sitting room wall.
Wallpaper here isn’t wallpaper, but rather pattern hand-painted on to walls by various artists. In the newly built living room entrance an oval window is surrounded by a delicate mural of white cherry blossom on gold leaf, painted by the muralist Ian Harper. On the walls of the hall and upstairs landing a geometric frieze designed by Neisha was painted by Rosie Mennem. The design was later woven as a velvet called ‘Kyoto Trellis’ for her collection for Schumacher.
Madeleine Castaing's influence can be felt in the designs for the joinery in the living room and the spectacular master bathroom which Neisha describes as inspired by a mix of, ‘Castaing, a 1940’s palazzo in Venice designed by Marino Meo, and an apartment I saw in a magazine that was designed by Milanese architect and designer Roberto Gerosa.’
‘As I’ve got older I’ve realised that it is much more about how a house makes you feel than how it looks. I wanted it to be comfortable, warm, friendly and cosy and light. Not to just look elegant… though I wanted that as well of course.’
Neisha Crosland's fabric and wallpaper collection with Schumacher is available to buy now: www.fschumacher.co.uk
James McDonald1/20The newly built entrance from the courtyard to living room. This space is the landing point from garden before you enter down a step into the heart of the living area, ‘thus the coir matting to wipe feet.' The walls are in ‘Light Grey’ by Farrow & Ball. The curtains are Lelièvre pastel linen, the curtain pole McKinney & Co. The 20th century glass lamp and 18th century drop-leaf table were inherited from Neisha's grandmother. The Vitis coignetiae vine climbing up the wall covers the whole house in summer.
James McDonald2/20The 19th century table is from Guinevere Antiques, on top of which are mercury vases from ones from Meridian, London, mixed with little ceramic bowls picked up in Japan and blue and white a Chinese Ming style vase with from Guinevere Antiques. The chairs are thrift shop finds covered in Neisha Crosland ‘Zebra’ silk chenille in ‘Raspberry’. The rug is an Aubusson bought at auction from Bonhams, laid on top of coir matting.
James McDonald3/20The main entrance to the house from the street would have been the space through which horse-drawn carriages would have entered the mews. ‘This is the first room you enter, and I wanted it to feel welcoming and warm. It links the two sides of the house and has glass doors that lead to the full view of walled garden. The inspiration was Le Jardin d’Hiver of Musée de la Vie Romantique in Paris. I laid down a Yorkstone floor, thinking I wanted it to feel like an orangery. But it felt too cold, so I fairly recently laid a sisal carpet and covered the stone table with a sunny yellow tablecloth. On the other side of the room there is a coat rail to hang coats and hats.’
The ceiling is painted in ‘Red Earth’ by Farrow & Ball. The lights are pale green glass Victorian cloches made into ceiling lanterns by Guinevere Antiques. The walls are hand painted by decorative artist Rosie Mennem. The curtains and Austrian blinds are in Green Chevron by Robert Kime. The portiere curtain is in a mow hair velvet form Claremont, London. All made by Cronin Workshop.
On the walls are a pair of 19th century limewood panels that Neisha stripped of layers of emulsion paint and restored by Carvers and Gilders, London.
The Etagere are part of a pair that were handed down to Neisha by her mother. She had them restored by TIW Fabrications and added the little finial on top. ‘They should have plants on them but I have put French confit pots instead.'
The painted rattan early to mid 20th century chair was bought in 2008 from Charles Saunders, London. With a cushion in yellow carriage cloth by Claremont. The lamp is from Michael Carlton, topped with its original lamp shade, painted by Alvaro Picardo. The stone oval table from Talisman is covered by a tablecloth made by East London Cloth in Charles Burger‘s ‘Toile Sauvagaeonne Ambre’ and finished with bullion trim, both from Turnell and Gigon. The seagrass herringbone rug is from Sinclair Till.
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5/20In the newly built living room French windows open out on to the lower terrace, surrounded by jasmine and kiwi lined brick walls. Neisha designed the fire place of modelled plaster and concrete. The hearth is lined with the metal grid tiles that originally lined the stable floors in the mews. 'I put beams on ceiling for purely cosmetic reasons. This is a cosy room; we watch television in here. I guess I was aiming for a feeling of being in the country, France.'
The wall are in ‘Stony Ground’ by Farrow & Ball. Neisha's ‘Rocket’ raffia fabric is framed on the wall. The Rose Uniacke sofa is covered in a fabric from Rogers & Goffigon Ltd. The cushions are a mixture of antique, Robert Kime, and Neisha Crosland gold ticking. The bespoke ottoman was made by Christopher Howe. An inherited bench is covered in Edmond ‘Petit Point de Hongrie.’
James McDonald6/20A chair by Dudgeon is upholstered in Neisha Crosland ‘Zebra Cut Velvet.' The lamp is 1940’s/50’s painted Italian carved wood. The bookcases were based on a Madeleine Castaing design from her Paris home. They were made for Neisha by Jim Howett and painted in a crackle glaze finish by Ian Harper - both artisans were found both through Marianna Kennedy studio.
James McDonald7/20The living room curtain are in Neisha Crosland ‘Gypsy Flock’ on linen.
James McDonald8/20Ruffled linen slipcovers (on Howe London chairs) and a woven water reed rug from Tim Page create a relaxed mood in the dining room. On the wall is a collection of framed Russian poems by Teddy Millington-Drake. Lamps, Besselink & Jones. The pillows on the back bench are in ‘Indian Pear’ from Robert Kime. The mirrors were custom made with black patinated steel frames slightly distressed. The glass panels are held together by gilded stars from Charles Saunders.
James McDonald9/20The kitchen at Les Prés d’Eugénie - Maison Guérard in southwestern France was the spark for Crosland’s own; the all-in-one stainless-steel sink and countertop was designed by Charlotte Crosland Interiors; tile, Made a Mano; oven and hood, Lacanche d’Or.
James McDonald10/20The hall paint colour is ‘Tarletan’ from Paper and Paints with a border and frieze in Neisha's ‘Bamboo Trellis’ design painted by Rosie Mennem. This design was later woven as a velvet called ‘Kyoto Trellis’ available from Schumacher.
James McDonald11/20On the first floor landing the light fixture is Hector Finch. Framed antique 18th century textile dress borders hang on the wall. The Robert Adam chairs were inherited from her grandmother. The lamps from Michael Carlton have lampshades in Neisha Crosland 'Zebra Flock' linen.
James McDonald12/20In the bedroom, artworks by Crosland’s children mingle with her own. The George Smith bench is covered in her Tudor Rose Flock; the swing-arm wall lights are from Hector Finch.
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14/20In the master bathroom Neisha was inspired by a mixture of ‘Madelein Castaing, a 40’s Palazzo in Venice designed by Marino Meo, an apartment I saw in a magazine that was designed by Milanese architect and designer Roberto Gerosa.’ The ceiling light is Hector Finch. The sconces are 1950’s Bagués from Hilary Batstone. The foxed glass doors were inspired by a glazed wall between two rooms in a house in Andalusia Spain. ‘I have put distressed mirrored glass by Gemma Cheney instead of clear glass. They were designed by Jim Howett, a Spitalfield designer working with Marianna Kenendy and made by Nick Hilliard of Redhouse Forge.’ The door handles from India.
James McDonald15/20The mirror was designed by Neisha's sister Charlotte Crosland Interiors and made by Nick Hilliard of Redhouse Forge. The sink is the ‘Marble Rose Aura’ twin basins made by Stone Fashion London Ltd with a skirt in a voile fabric by Simon Playle.
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