Set out over one floor, it begins with a large entrance hall, defined by a strikingly ornate Christopher Guy mirror, before leading off in one direction to the principle rooms and in the other to the bedrooms, all with ensuites. It holds the much coveted and much protected original features including very high ceilings, well-proportioned skirtings, deep elaborate cornices and a mahogany entrance door. All of these elements provided both the inspiration and back drop for Dekker’s plan, which in his words was to ‘provide the magic.’
All the cornices and skirts and have been painted in a crisp white and the walls throughout the property have then been given a darker, muted, mushroomy colours, in order to let those original features shine. For example, the entrance hall has cognac polished plaster, and in the master bedroom one wall is upholstered in taupe nubuck, inside an architectural folly that had to be kept due to the listing. The main reception room has had a specialist finish applied, skilfully painted to look like aged silk and the study is panelled in dark oak. It feels as though, everything you touch and see is made to promote both comfort and solidity.
Speaking particularly of the reception room walls, Dekker, who worked closely with specialist decorators DKT to create the blend of taupe, gold and pearl, gives you a sense of how important this aspect was to him.
‘The original sample was a small piece of water damaged silk I was determined to recreate on a large scale. It’s never a problem getting exactly the right finish as long as you work with professional people who understand the value of the finished product.’