Making space in a Georgian terraced Chelsea cottage

This Georgian terraced cottage in Chelsea, London, had been decorated in a style that was fashionable in the early 2000s, with white, pared-back interiors. Having decided they wanted a more classic approach, the owners asked interior designer Guy Goodfellow for help. His first intervention was to take down the wall dividing the entrance hall and the sitting room, creating one large, open-plan room on the ground floor. But it was the next move that made a greater impact: he applied what he describes as ‘cheat’s panelling’ to the walls — strips of MDF laid onto the surface, which give a three-dimensional aspect without losing the inches of space required for traditional Georgian panelling. ‘It immediately adds depth and makes the room feel bigger,’ he explains.

The clients specified a mix of antique furniture, paintings and layers of what Guy describes as ‘stuff on stuff’. Many of the pieces, such as the fireplace from Thornhill Galleries, were sourced for the project, but the portrait was part of the family collection. The walls are painted in Dove by Edward Bulmer.

Both the sofa and the armchair are part of the studio’s own collection and are upholstered in his fabrics, a subtle stripe in aqua blue on the sofa and a weave in garnet red on the chair. ‘The armchair is a copy of an old Howard chair of mine,’ explains Guy. ‘It’s the perfect size for a tall man, but doesn’t take up too much footprint.’ A club fender in moss green was made by Acres Farm.

The 1970s-era glass-and-brass coffee table strikes a contemporary contrast. ‘The trick is not to think a small room can only handle small pieces of furniture,’ says Guy. ‘You don’t want to overfill it, of course, but, by understanding the scale, it’s possible to make the space feel bigger than it is.’