Bold & Beautiful: Inside Patsy's Fully Renovated and Extended 1850s Victorian Home
Produced & Written by Dan Burge | 22 March 2026
HomeInspire visited Patsy’s fully renovated and extended Victorian terrace in North London to film and feature her remarkable transformation of a deeply neglected period property into a bold, characterful and beautifully considered family home. A makeup artist of 30 years, Patsy project managed and designed every element herself - bringing a creative eye honed across music, fashion and TV to every decision made.
Project Overview and Vision
From Unloved Rental to Dream Home
When Patsy purchased this 1850s North London Victorian terrace in 2021, it had been tenanted for nearly two decades and was in a significantly neglected state. Whitewashed a hundred times over, with badly placed radiators, poor electrics and little of its original character visible, the house was crying out for attention. The original sash windows were double glazed - one of the few saving graces - but everything else required serious work.
Rather than diving straight into a full renovation, Patsy spent the first year living in the property, getting to know its quirks and beginning with smaller interventions - fitting wardrobes, introducing joinery in the living room and finding a trusted local carpenter, Sheamus, who would go on to play a central role in the project.
A Creative Vision
Patsy's background as a makeup artist proved invaluable throughout the renovation process. Her instinctive understanding of colour, contrast and composition - developed over three decades working across music, fashion and TV - shaped every decision, from paint colours to lighting choices to material selection. This was not simply a renovation. It was a deeply personal creative project, and it shows.
Working Without an Architect
Unlike many projects of this scale, Patsy led the design process herself in close collaboration with her architects and builder. As project manager, she drove every key decision - from the spatial reconfiguration of the ground floor to the bold choice to tile the entire rear extension in green. Her clarity of vision and willingness to push for unconventional solutions is what makes this project stand apart.
The Ground Floor
Hallway and Period Features
The hallway immediately signals the character of what lies beyond. Brought back to life with a stair runner, brass rods and Farrow & Ball's Red Earth - a warm, corally pink-red - it benefits from an unusually generous layout for a Victorian terrace. Where most properties of this type open directly onto a staircase, this house offers a wide entrance hall with the stairs set to one side, a feature Patsy was determined to celebrate rather than alter.
A former doorway leading to an external coal delivery access point was removed and replaced with a cast iron radiator, also painted in Red Earth, tying the space together with warmth and cohesion. A cherished 1960s French perspex lamp - bought in Tooting for £80 in the late 90s - sits proudly in the hallway, a reminder that great interiors are built over time.
Utility Room and Downstairs Shower Room
What was originally a Victorian dining room with a single doorway has been opened up and reconfigured to create a generous utility and storage room - housing a washing machine, second fridge, sink and extensive coat and equipment storage. Practical, hardworking and cleverly designed, the space could also function as a guest bedroom if required.
Adjacent to this, a former tiny side return toilet has been transformed into a full walk-in shower room with a proper full-size sink - a decision Patsy feels strongly about. Sanitary ware throughout is from Aston Matthews, whose collection of considered fixtures Patsy has used extensively across the house. The floor is laid in terrazzo and the shower lined with classic porcelain brick tiles, with an electric opening window set into the top of the shower for ventilation.
The Pantry
A large pantry was carved out of a void on the opposite side of the kitchen wall - the same depth as the void used to create the downstairs shower room. Originally planned with a glazed frame entrance, Patsy decided during the build that the wide open arch was more than sufficient, and she loves the way it exposes the structural steel running through the wall. Painted in a warm yellow, the pantry provides generous open shelving for dry goods, art equipment and kitchen essentials, and is lit by vintage 1970s lights that Patsy has repurposed and treasured for years.
The Rear Extension
Architectural Statement
The rear extension is the defining move of this project. Clad entirely in glazed green tiles by Mandarin Stone, the addition was inspired by Patsy's long-standing obsession with the tilework of Victorian pubs and London Underground stations. With a flat roof profile, sharp edges and no slope, it makes an immediate and confident statement against the original London stock brick. In a conservation area where the extension was limited to 3.5 metres, the design makes every centimetre count.
The builders were not initially enthusiastic about the tile cladding. Patsy pushed. The result has been widely admired and sets the extension firmly apart from anything else on the street.
The Kitchen and Dining Space
The double-height kitchen and dining space is the heart of the home. All cabinetry and shelving is from British Standard - a former sister company of Plain English - painted in Farrow & Ball's Mouse's Back, a mushroomy grey-green that shifts beautifully in changing light. Concrete worktops bring character and patina over time, and Patsy is clear that those seeking a perfectly uniform surface should look elsewhere. They suit her perfectly.
A bespoke hood designed in collaboration with her architect and carpenter conceals the extractor fan entirely, turning what is usually an eyesore into a considered architectural feature. Above the cooker is the only tiled section of wall in the room - a practical necessity, beautifully executed. Open shelving replaces wall cabinets throughout, keeping the space light and open.
Light, Glazing and Garden Connection
A large picture window punches back into the double-height space, flooding the extension with natural light and creating what Patsy describes as a greenhouse for her plants. French doors open onto the 110ft garden - a deliberate choice over bifold doors, which Patsy feels offer limited practical benefit for the number of weeks they can realistically be used in the British climate.
A circular rooflight - which Patsy insisted upon despite initial resistance from the builders - floods the space from above and creates a dramatic light well to the sky. Parquet flooring and wall panelling throughout the extension help to absorb sound and prevent the echo common in large open-plan extensions, creating a space that is as warm and welcoming as it is architecturally impressive.
First Floor Bedrooms and Bathrooms
Teenage Son's Bedroom
At the rear of the first floor sits a large bedroom designed for Patsy's teenage son. A bespoke built-in wardrobe with shadow-gap pull-outs and no visible handles was designed in collaboration with Sheamus, balancing modern detailing with the period character of the room. The original marble fireplace - like all the fireplaces in the house - was buried under approximately 15 coats of paint, including over the ironwork. Stripping it back was painstaking but the result is beautiful. The room is floored in sisal - Patsy's material of choice throughout the upper floors for its durability, sustainability and moth-repelling properties.
Family Bathroom
The family bathroom occupies what was once a very small space added above the hallway during the turn of the century. By pushing out above the new downstairs extension at the rear, the architects created additional length - enough to accommodate shelving, a toilet and, most importantly, a generous freestanding bath. The ceiling was raised to full roof height and a skylight added, flooding what might otherwise be a dark and cramped room with natural light. Fired Earth tiles line the walls, Aston Matthews fixtures feature throughout, and hanging plants thrive beneath the rooflight.
Spare Room
The spare room is painted floor to ceiling in Farrow & Ball's Templeton Pink - a confident, enveloping choice that Patsy carries off with ease. A bespoke wardrobe by Sheamus is lined internally with Merchant & Mills fabric, adding a tactile, considered finish to what might otherwise be a purely functional piece. Another original marble fireplace has been lovingly restored, and a collection of hand-stitched Indian kantha quilts - gathered over years of travel - adds warmth and personality.
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Main Bedroom
A Calm Retreat
The main bedroom was the first room in the house to be decorated. Patsy's philosophy for a principal bedroom is one of calm - an off-white base of whites, creams and taupes, with colour introduced through bedding, cushions and Roman blinds rather than on the walls. The room accommodates a super king bed, bespoke fitted storage, cast iron radiators and a mid-century teak chest of drawers that has followed Patsy through several homes. Sisal flooring, as throughout the first floor, adds texture and practicality underfoot.
A Home Built on Creative Conviction
What makes Patsy's renovation so compelling is not simply the quality of the individual decisions - the tiled extension, the colour drenching, the restored fireplaces - but the coherence of the whole. Every room, every material choice, every vintage find feels like part of a single, considered vision. Nothing is accidental. Nothing is generic.
This is a home that could only have been created by someone with a genuine and deeply personal relationship with colour, craft and composition. Patsy's 30 years as a makeup artist have clearly shaped not just how she sees the world, but how she builds the spaces she lives in. The result is a house that is bold without being brash, characterful without being cluttered and warm without being fussy.
It is also a reminder that you do not need an architect or an interior designer to create something truly outstanding. What you do need is clarity of vision, the confidence to back your instincts and the patience to see it through. Patsy had all three in abundance.
For anyone considering a renovation of their own - particularly a period property that has lost its way - this project is as good an example as you will find of what is possible when a house is given exactly the love and attention it deserves.
Project Info
Location: Muswell Hill
Architects: Smith & Newton Architects
Exterior Tiles: Mandarin Stone
Paint: Farrow & Ball
Filmed & Produced by HomeInspire
Photography by InspireMedia
Written by Dan Burge | Founder of HomeInspire
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To see more, watch our full project tour on our YouTube channel!
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FAQs – Victorian Restorations & Rear Extensions
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Not all extensions require planning permission. Many smaller rear extensions fall under permitted development rights, meaning you can build without formal approval. However, if your property is in a conservation area - restrictions may apply to the scale, materials and appearance of any addition. It is always advisable to consult your local planning authority or an architect before proceeding.
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Timelines vary considerably depending on the scale of work involved. A full renovation and extension of this nature typically takes between 12 and 24 months from initial design through to completion. Factors such as planning applications, structural complexity, material lead times and the discovery of unexpected issues during construction can all affect the programme.
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The key is to respect the original character of the property while introducing modern elements with confidence. Restoring original features such as fireplaces, cornicing and sash windows provides a strong foundation, while contemporary interventions - bold paint colours, modern extensions and considered lighting - can sit alongside them beautifully when handled with a clear design vision.
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Farrow & Ball remains a popular choice for period properties, although there are many other brands to choose from so do your research. They all offering a palette that tends to complement original Victorian architecture particularly well. Deeper, richer tones work well in living rooms and hallways, while lighter shades can open up smaller spaces such as bedrooms and bathrooms. Colour drenching - painting walls, ceilings and woodwork in the same tone - has become an increasingly popular approach for creating a cohesive, immersive feel throughout a period home.
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In almost every case, yes. Original marble fireplaces, cornicing, sash windows and timber floorboards are extremely difficult and expensive to replicate authentically, and they add considerable character and value to a property. While restoration can be time-consuming, the results are invariably worth the effort and form the foundation of a home with genuine soul and authenticity.
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