Step inside the London home of Interior Designer Lily Paulson-Ellis

It’s always intriguing to see behind the closed doors of an interior designer’s own home; the ultimate ‘through-the-keyhole’ interior design inspiration if you will. The enviably stylish and ever timeless London home of Lily Paulson-Ellis gives an insight into the passion and dedication behind her work at LPE Interior Design which she founded in 2015.

With over 10 years’ experience in the luxury interior design industry, Lily creates welcoming home spaces that have a subtle sense of comfort whilst remaining practical at their core. The result is beautiful, yet resilient homes that stand the test of time and her own home is the epitome of this; classic, contemporary and future-proofed in functionality and form.

We caught up with Lily earlier this week to get an insight into the design of this inspiring family home:

Lily: “It was so important to me to create a definitive sense of flow so that each space seamlessly ran into the next. I never want a room to jar; it must always feel organic and easy as you move through a house The common thread in my own home is that sense of continuity, so for example, the hallway panelling is half-height featuring a darker colour below and a lighter colour above which I pulled through to the other spaces. It’s the details that mean so much to me in a project and my own home was no different”.

Louisa Eggleston, Creative Director, and Kate Counihan, Designer, worked with Lily and her husband on the design of the kitchen, pantry, wine storage and utility room and were over the moon to see this classic contemporary space come together:

Lily: “The kitchen is the biggest element of the design and from the get-go we made design choices that weren’t trend-led but timeless. Choosing to bring in pops of colour in smaller items is a great way of ensuring a neutral, timeless base that will stand the test of time. Texture was hugely important and is woven through the design of each room. For the large open plan space we loved the idea of using exposed brick and critical elements which really lend themselves to this house and creates a modern family home. Before the renovation the back of the house was several small, dark rooms; opening up the space and bringing the light in has completely changed the feel of the property. We spend a huge amount of time in the open plan space which is L-shape in design and includes the kitchen, dining area and sitting room – even on a dark, rainy day it is still bright and light thanks to the contemporary flat glass roof light”.

At HM, with any design we work on we always want the room to just open out in front of you as you walk through and this project completely achieves this:

Lily: “Funnily enough our builders called it the Tardis house because you come through the front door into a lovely big hallway and you can see the sitting room but not too much else. The jib door to the kitchen opens in front of you and suddenly it’s ‘wow I had no idea this was all here’. The L-shape space of the extension works really well for us as the children have lots of space to play and when they’re watching television they are nearby but we aren’t blasted with noise; it’s a design layout that works for everyone”.

It’s always wonderful to take inspiration from the choices that interior designers have made for their own homes so we were intrigued which parts of the house Lily loved the most:

Lily: “For me it’s the hallway panelling that makes me so happy when I walk in; it’s a small detail that makes such a big difference and the hallway always sets the tone for the rest of house so I am really pleased with how this looks and feels when you come through the door either solo or with dogs, children and the general luggage that entails. Actually, speaking of luggage we just returned from a lovely trip to Norfolk and I can’t tell you what a delight it is to have a functioning *and* beautiful utility room. I was almost disconcertingly content sorting through piles of laundry in there – it’s a great space and one that works so perfectly for us”.

One of our favourite corners of Lily’s home is the sitting room with the beautiful map prints hung across two walls:

Lily: “The sitting room is at the front of the house and doesn’t get a huge amount of sunlight so it’s used more in the cooler months when my husband light’s the fire and we curl up with a glass of red wine. The map prints are from Ben Pentreath and depict London in the 1760’s; it’s fascinating to see all these familiar areas back then – Buckingham Palace looks minuscule in comparison to today and Chelsea is all grazing fields. We love this corner of the siting room; it’s a lovely reading nook”.

To continue exploring Lily’s wonderful home, continue scrolling down to take a look at the bedrooms and bathrooms which have also been meticulously designed:

About LPE Interior Design:

Lily’s career began after 5 years at Christie’s in the Private Collections & Country House Sales & Furniture Department, after which she trained at KLC School of Interior Design before joining the prestigious Taylor Howes Designs. There she worked on a number of high-end private residential projects in Kensington, Chelsea and Knightsbridge before branching out on her own. Lily has subsequently worked on several properties in London, Gloucestershire, Berkshire, Kent, Bedfordshire and the French Alps.

Taking joy in ever meticulous detail Lily and her team thrive on getting rooms to work practically without imposing a ‘signature look’ onto their projects. Instead Lily and the team work closely with their clients to establish how they will live in the home, their values and their identity. Many of the clients that approach LPE Interior Design are private residential families who know what they like but might struggle with pulling everything together or lack the time required. The team take the stress off the client and allow them to focus on the fun part of improving their home.

When embarking on a new design with a client, LPE Interior Design offer a free initial consultation in which they get to know the client and take a full and detailed brief. This is then followed by phase one which is the concept phase, this includes floor plans showing the proposed furniture layouts, concept imagery etc. This is then followed by phase two in which the approved concept design is detailed up into CAD plans, elevations, scope of works and schedules from which the contractors will cost and build. The cost of the the furniture, fabrics and accessories is also specified during this phase. Phase three and four is when construction work is overseen and all deliveries are collated ahead of the installation which is the fifth and final phase. To contact LPE Interior Design please click here.