Progress Inside Southsea Villa

In June last year, I posted about my newly-acquired C E Turnbull house Southsea Villa which was in great need of restoration both inside and out.

Restoration of the outside progresses slowly but surely, however, inside I've recently made a lot more progress:

This was the inside when I got the house in June last year.

And this is the inside today.

In the kitchen, I papered the walls with lining paper and painted them with a Farrow & Ball emulsion called 'Cook's Blue'.

The Farrow and Ball description for this colour is as follows:

Cook's Blue was inspired by the rich and poignant finish in the cook's closet at Calke Abbey where the walls had been untouched for many decades. This bright and deeply pigmented colour is perfect for use both in kitchens and exterior eating areas, as this vibrant tone is said to deter flies!

The room has a very high ceiling so, to add some height to the furnishings, I installed some shelving. Above the shelves, I painted the walls with Farrow & Ball's 'Lime White' which is described as:

... an off-white named after the chalky pigments used in original distempers.

The flooring is a copy of an original old dolls' house flooring, kindly given to me by the fellow-collector from whom I bought the house.

I installed a chimney breast in the room and added a tin range.

The simple fire-surround was made using pieces of old moulding.

You can see in this photo that I aged the newly painted walls. I followed Celia Thomas' (of KT Miniatures) tip to apply a weak wash of burnt umber acrylic. They look more aged when viewed without the flash which bleaches the wash a bit, especially on the white parts.

I got the dresser very cheaply on eBay as it had cupboard doors on the bottom part which looked slightly incongruous. I took them off and discovered that they had been added to this nice old dresser at a later date. It's a great height for this very tall room.

Across the landing from the kitchen is the dining room.  'The owners' have gone for impact in this room with this bold vintage french wallpaper!

The gold border is metallic trim from an old ecclesiastical garment and I chose it to give the room a bit of a lift since the black background on the wallpaper and the deep burgundy flooring make it quite dark.  The gold is not quite as shiny and looks older when viewed without the camera flash.

The flooring is a relatively modern wallpaper but I think it works well and have used it in all three of the reception rooms.

I have also installed chimney breasts and fire surrounds like this one (again, made from old mouldings) in each of the reception rooms and have inserted three of these useful little cast iron fireplaces.

Above the dining room is the ladies' parlour.  There were no clues on this vintage wallpaper to say where it was made. The border is relatively modern but hopefully the simple pattern is fairly timeless and the roll was old enough (maybe about 20 years old?) not to look brand new.

I have used the same flooring as in the dining room and the Bargello/Florentine work rug is from a cushion I bought in an antique shop in Melrose last September and mentioned in a post back then - I knew it would find a good home.

Across the landing from the ladies parlour and directly above the kitchen is the gentleman's study or smoking room. The vintage wallpaper is french. I hope to happen across a suitable border for the room eventually.

The rug is from an old cushion I bought in an antique shop in York a couple of years ago and the flooring is the same one as I have used in the dining room and ladies' parlour.

Directly above the ladies parlour is a bedroom. Again, the wallpaper is vintage and french.

The rooms on this top floor have considerably lower ceilings so I might not bother with a border in here, although, if I see a nice antique lace I might be tempted.

I haven't found a suitable flooring for up here on the top floor yet.

Directly above the gentleman's study/smoking room is this room which might be or a bedroom or might be a nursery, I've haven't decided yet.

I have a vintage wallpaper on order for it but I am on the lookout out for a floor paper, which I will use for the whole of the top floor, i.e. for the two bedrooms and the landing. I envisage something along the lines of parquet.

In the central part of the house, I have yet to refurbish the staircases and I intend to put the same black and white tile down on the first floor landing as I used in the hallway.

So, while I plod on with the painstaking work on the outside of the house, at least now I can enjoy looking at the inside.  I will continue to put the finishing touches to the decor and of course, keep my eyes peeled for suitable furnishings!

Until next time,
Zoe