Reinventing a six-storey Georgian house in just four months sounds like a tall order by any standards. But this is just what Nicole and Scott Mather managed to do with their family home in Belgravia. The Mathers, with their two young children, snapped up an 1840s town house which had once been an embassy before being converted into flats. “The decoration was safe but had an office kind of feeling,” says Nicole. “We wanted something stylish, with a contemporary look but not too modern.”

Nicole commissioned interior designer Kate Bingham, whose work she had seen in a magazine article, and the pair began by looking at fabric choices, opting for fabric wallpapers in a number of key spaces for texture and warmth. From office-style drabness to a warm, welcoming and sophisticated family home in four months is an achievement. “The house is so relaxing and comfortable,” says Nicole, “especially at the end of the day. It's all very peaceful.”

Click here to take a trip around the Mathers' home.

WORDS DOMINIC BRADBURY
PHOTOGRAPHS MARK LUSCOMBE-WHYTE
NOVEMBER 2008