From vintage fashion posters put against stark white walls to handpicked furniture, style writer and journalist Hywel Davies’ terrace townhouse carefully accounts functional flow with perfect spaces for entertaining. “I opted for white walls and dark flooring to serve as a blank canvas for my own accessories and furniture,” he says, “which is where I feel that the main design personality is found.”
When Davies bought the house a couple of decades ago, he set to work straight away, ripping out all the carpets, stripping off the floorboards, installing a new kitchen and knocking down walls. Then he included his own decorative touches to produce the light and bright space match his fashion-forward style.
at a Glance
Who lives here: Hywel Davies and his partner
Location: Lower Clapton, Hackney, East London
Size: 160 square meters (1,722 square feet); 3 bedrooms, 1 1/2 baths
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Davies describes his design design functional and basic, with a mixture of vintage and new. He sources most of his furnishings out of London’s secondhand shops and out of economies in Berlin and Paris.
He highlights subtle symmetries in each of the house’s spaces. This pair of black leather armchairs is from a Royal Air Force base.
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A well-worn chesterfield leather sofa from John Lewis adds soft lines into this linear space and contrasts with the zigzag floor lamp. Stacked industrial-style stools are at the ready for when Davies entertains.
“The living room is my favorite place in the home to relax, as it is only a staircase from my cellar study,” he states.
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Black Eames dowel-leg side seats make a statement around a 1960s Danish table. Davies is attracted to the clean lines of Danish design and frequents the Danish Homestore in Nottingham.
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Stairs lead down in the primary entryway into this ground-floor kitchen. The kitchen and dining room lead straight onto a recently additional garden deck.
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New skylights keep the kitchen space open and encourage flow in the kitchen into the backyard deck. An upholstered armchair at the head of the table can easily become a reading nook throughout the day.
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The biggest and most costly part of the remodel was cladding the brand new kitchen in stainless steel. Davies chosen to get a couple of open shelves to minimize clutter.
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Davies added a backyard deck, where he enjoys dining and where he keeps a small range of potted plants.
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This is an opinion of the home from the rear of the massive garden. “My notion of gardening is becoming someone else to do it,” Davies says.
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Upstairs, he included a wall sticker of a world map to accent the blank wall between the 3 bedrooms.
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A unique industrial-style vest found in a secondhand store also sits in the hallway between the bedrooms
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Within this guest bedroom, also at the other bedrooms too, Davies splurged on genuine Fog & Mørup pendant lighting.
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The master bedroom keeps exactly the same minimum, neutral color palette as the rest of home.
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Davies collects graphic design posters. Hanging here’s a poster commemorating the 50th anniversary of the font Helvetica.
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Davies repurposed a vintage crate for a TV stand, which conveniently hides the wires behind.
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He knocked down walls to combine two small bedrooms into a big bathroom. A gray claw-foot tub has a view of the backyard garden. From the corner, built-in shelves hold towels and other essentials.
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The large walk-in shower includes classic white subway tiles.
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Davies chose an old-fashioned bathroom throughout the renovation to increase the vintage, traditional feel. Along with the tub, it is a surprising highlight of the space.
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An additional guest bedroom with Orla Kiely bedding and a classic leather welcomes guests and guests.
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