{"id":20177,"date":"2023-03-27T09:30:26","date_gmt":"2023-03-27T07:30:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homesandantiques.com\/?p=40689"},"modified":"2023-03-27T10:36:42","modified_gmt":"2023-03-27T08:36:42","slug":"a-victorian-cottage-in-london","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/homesantiques\/rss_feed\/a-victorian-cottage-in-london\/","title":{"rendered":"A Victorian cottage in London"},"content":{"rendered":"

Joel Bernstein\u2019s South African roots and his love of antiques have strongly influenced how he\u2019s decorated his charming Victorian cottage in London. Feature Kerryn Fischer. Photographs Elsa Young \/ Frank Features <\/p>

By kirstylyons\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Monday, 27 March 2023 at 12:00 am<\/p>

\n\n

\u2018I\u2019m not really into new things,\u2019 says London-based creative director Joel Bernstein. \u2018In my home, everything is either inherited or bought at the many antiques shops<\/a> and flea markets that I love to trawl.\u2019<\/p>\n

And while the house that he bought five years ago (a clever refit of a Victorian artisan cottage) is full of antiques<\/a> and vintage<\/a> finds, everything has been put together in a way that creates a fresh, original and, dare we say it, contemporary space.<\/p>\n

Amid the antiques and collectables that Joel has amassed over the years, there\u2019s a prevailing earthy sensibility. The clues to another life (Joel was born in South Africa) lie in his love of dusky monochromatic hues and a touch of the artisan that runs through every object and consequently every room in his home.<\/p>\n

\u2018As hard as I might try to get away from it, I inevitably err towards a subdued palette punctuated by textural layers of wood, fabric and indigenous collectables,\u2019 he says.\u00a0\u2018I suppose where I grew up has unconsciously had an influence on how I decorate.\u2019<\/p>\n

As an avid collector and inveterate traveller, Joel has amassed an impressive collection of pieces from all over the world, from the Brazilian sculpture in the bedroom to the Japanese fabric hanging from the kitchen window.<\/p>\n

The other considerable influencing factor in his home is his love of antiques<\/a>. \u2018I\u2019ve always been drawn to things with a sense of history and provenance. It just doesn\u2019t excite me to buy something new as much as it does to find a piece that has been beautifully handcrafted, cherished and loved, and then to find a space for it in my home.\u2019<\/p>\n

Such is his love of old pieces, that even the radiators in the house are Victorian. \u2018I had them serviced and refurbished and they\u2019re in perfect working order. I have no doubt they\u2019ll keep going for another 100 years,\u2019 says Joel.<\/p>\n

In fact, throughout the cottage, Victorian fittings have been reinstated wherever possible and the juxtaposition of the traditional with the edgy (the Victorian wall tiles<\/a> and black kitchen cabinets are a case in point) make for an intriguing space that almost feels like an art installation.<\/p>\n

Joel loves to cook, read and listen to the radio. And so, after moving into the cottage, the kitchen was extended \u2013 interior walls were removed to improve the flow and there\u2019s no shortage of armchairs to sink into with a good book.<\/p>\n

There are unusual touches that nod to his work as a creative director everywhere, too. The legs of the antique side table in the living room have been wrapped in fabric and, in the same room, hand-hewn shutters have replaced the Victorian originals. \u2018I love the imperfection and irregularity of the hollow knots.\u2019<\/p>\n

Joel enjoys working with old things and happily accepts that delays are part of the process when renovating a house with salvaged pieces, particularly when working with period properties<\/a>. \u2018The house may not function as well as it could and it may include features that aren\u2019t totally practical, but I\u2019d like to think that it has loads of character.\u2019 We couldn\u2019t agree more.<\/p>\n

\""Victorian\"<\/picture><\/div>
The subdued palette of the living room is punctuated by textural layers of wood, fabric and African collectables. The paintings are by artist Hugh Griffiths.<\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""Victorian\"<\/picture><\/div>
Joel created an entrance hall that links the living and dining areas. The hanging light is from Urban Cottage Industries and the 18th-century English table was bought at a local antiques shop.<\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""Victorian\"<\/picture><\/div>
Joel sits in an armchair with haphazard linen upholstery. Behind him are the internal shutters made from tulipwood that he got a builder to cut up.<\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""Victorian\"<\/picture><\/div>
This antique English ladder in the living room was bought from a dealer called Simon Sieff, while the metal bookcase showcases some of Joel\u2019s precious finds from all over the world.<\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""Victorian\"<\/picture><\/div>
A view from the entrance hall to the kitchen extension that was created by continuing the room into the garden and adding a glass roof to let in much-needed light. The window is adorned with a piece of indigo fabric that Joel bought in Japan: \u2018It\u2019s a traditional Japanese window treatment,\u2019 he says. \u2018It\u2019s made from pineapples.\u2019<\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""Victorian\"<\/picture><\/div>
\u2018I was very much influenced by Vermeer when I was decorating this house and so I opted for ebonised oak cupboards in the kitchen and black-and-white tiles for the splashback that I found at auction. My idea was to create a dark, Dutch moment that is quite intense,\u2019 says Joel.<\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""Victorian\"<\/picture><\/div>
Joel bought the hand-hewn stone basin for the kitchen from Edward Haes.<\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""Victorian\"<\/picture><\/div>
The old wrought iron French day bed and the metal table in the bedroom are from Baileys. \u2018Everything else is either inherited or something that I\u2019ve found in an antiques shop, flea market or elsewhere,\u2019 says Joel<\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""Victorian\"<\/picture><\/div>
In the bedroom a frame that Joel bought at a flea market sits alongside a beetle encased in perspex.<\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""Victorian\"<\/picture><\/div>
The chair in the main bedroom is from Malawi and the throw on the bed (just seen) is from Mexico. The naked bulb hanging light is from Urban Cottage Industries.<\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""Victorian\"<\/picture><\/div>
Joel is an avid collector on his travels and has a sizeable collection of African artefacts, including this head comb, tribal ring and ceremonial collar that sits underneath the marble plate. \u2018A lot of the things I collect are African,\u2019 says Joel. \u2018Even when I travel I\u2019m drawn to places with an African influence, such as Pantelleria, an island off Sicily.\u2019 <\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""Victorian\"<\/picture><\/div>
The sanitaryware in the main bedroom\u2019s en suite bathroom is all reclaimed and refurbished, while the stained floorboards have been given a matt finish.<\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""Victorian\"<\/picture><\/div>
Joel sourced complete sets of Victorian sanitaryware with a sophisticated blue- and-white floral pattern.<\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""Victorian\"<\/picture><\/div>
An old table with many layers of paint lends a rustic charm to this collection of natural curiosities and semi-precious stones.<\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>

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