{"id":279,"date":"2022-01-20T13:25:33","date_gmt":"2022-01-20T12:25:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homesandantiques.com\/?p=25598"},"modified":"2022-01-20T13:44:36","modified_gmt":"2022-01-20T12:44:36","slug":"a-moody-victorian-flat-filled-with-art-and-antiques","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/homesantiques\/rss_feed\/a-moody-victorian-flat-filled-with-art-and-antiques\/","title":{"rendered":"A moody Victorian flat filled with art and antiques"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Molly Malsom\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Thursday, 20 January 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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When she\u2019s buying at auction, Linda Allen\u2019s technique is to bide her time. \u2018At the point when most bidders lose interest and the room goes quiet, that\u2019s when I perk up,\u2019 she says. It\u2019s an approach that has paid off, filling Linda and her husband Darin Brown\u2019s home with atmospheric and intriguing finds.<\/p>\n

Her latest auction buys include several vintage paintings, a wartime campaign desk and the set of replica terracotta warrior busts that are now lined up in the master bedroom (p122). \u2018We had a few strange looks when we carried them home,\u2019 she smiles.<\/p>\n

The weathered wall cabinet in the kitchen is another vintage find (it came out of a tailor\u2019s shop), while the kitchen island is an old haberdashery counter, its neat compartments now used for cutlery and jars of spices. The copper sink \u2013 visible from all angles, thanks to the counter\u2019s glass sides \u2013 was bought by Darin on a trip to Florida and the taps are vintage American.<\/p>\n

Linda originally made her name as a footwear designer but she now works as an artist and interior designer. \u2018I\u2019ve always been able to visualise things in 3D,\u2019 she says. \u2018Even when I was little, I was fascinated by boxes and would stack them together to make bigger structures. I guess this flat is a larger, shinier version of my childhood games.\u2019 Linda is referring obliquely to the design centrepiece of the flat: a mirror-glass cube that sits between the living room and the bedroom, acting as a room divider with a difference.<\/p>\n

\u2018We wanted it to look as if a great shiny box had dropped down from outer space,\u2019 explains Linda. \u2018We left a gap at the top and the bottom so it appears to hover like a separate entity.\u2019 Because it is actually a deep box rather than a wall, the mirrored doors conceal the TV and bookshelves on the living room side. On the bedroom side, there\u2019s a utility area and an en suite, lined in yet more mirror glass. And, in both rooms, the glass reflects back Linda\u2019s collection of interesting auction acquisitions in all their glory.<\/p>\n

Even before their statement box was constructed, Linda and Darin were drawn towards less conventional finishes for their home. When they had the old extension at the back of the flat rebuilt as a dining area, they wanted the black steel beams, concrete and bare brickwork left exposed rather than plastered over. \u2018I wanted a raw, unfinished feel,\u2019 Linda explains. Rather than hanging pictures directly onto the bare walls in the conventional manner, paintings are suspended from the steel beams using a clever system of wires, metal hooks and strong magnets.<\/p>\n

In the living room, there\u2019s more rough brickwork, partnered with plenty of wooden panelling painted a sophisticated matt black for added contrast. Linda and Darin also scoured reclamation yards for additional architectural elements such as plinths, pillars and corbels to create further drama in shadowy corners.<\/p>\n

The smoke-and-mirrors look of this flat hasn\u2019t always been Linda and Darin\u2019s style. The couple met in their native Canada and lived in the US and Paris before settling in London eight years ago. \u2018All of our homes have been different,\u2019 says Linda. \u2018The feel of this one was inspired by the Victorian architecture in particular and British architecture in general.\u2019<\/p>\n

When they first moved to the UK, Linda and Darin visited National Trust and English Heritage properties at weekends. \u2018I love the way that British buildings are often full of dark corners, secret doors and hidden servants\u2019 staircases,\u2019 says Linda. As a tribute to that tradition, she worked a hidden loo into the panelling by the front door. \u2018You only notice the slight gap in the woodwork once you know it\u2019s there,\u2019 she smiles.<\/p>\n

Further inspiration came from the discovery that the actor Tom Baker, who played Doctor Who in the 1970s and early 80s, had once lived in the flat. \u2018Having the presence of Doctor Who wafting around in the ether gave me some extra creative licence,\u2019 says Linda, gesturing to the Tardis-like panelling. \u2018We love finding pieces that stir our imaginations but also pay tribute to our home\u2019s interesting past.\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

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