Love at first scroll

Designer Nicholas Hodson-Taylor found an old artists' studio online, just 8 feet wide at the front, opening to a quasi-triangle shape.

“I basically bought it in my head when I saw it online, but when I showed it to James, he was like: 'Are you mad? This is ridiculous!'”

The live-work potential

Hodson-Taylor and his tailor husband James MacAuslan needed a space for both living and launching their own businesses.

Moving the front door

The designer relocated the entrance from the side to the street. The old kitchen became an entry-library-dining room for client meetings.

Hidden storage solutions

A curtain-covered wall hides shoes and coats. A jib door wrapped in linen conceals MacAuslan's 11-square-foot work room with machinery and fabrics.

“I was desperate for somewhere to close off all of his machinery and fabrics in the same way that I house a lot of my chaos behind the drapery”

A teal fireplace statement

The tall fireplace, inspired by historic Leighton House, features teal tiles dry-laid in a careful formation for color variation.

“We dry-laid them all to make sure it was right. It drove the tiler mad”

The hidden bathroom surprise

What looks like a tall kitchen cupboard actually leads to a pantry and shower for overnight guests.

“It is a bit of a jaw-dropper. I don't think anyone expects to see what's here”

Faux marble on a budget

The faceted island has a real marble top, but a decorative painter used a fine brush to fake the marble look on the base.

A bathroom under the stars

Upstairs, the primary suite includes a tub sunken into travertine steps below the large front window.

“It's not overlooked, you can be in the bath and count the stars”

Their forever home

A vintage plan chest became a vanity, and an awkward square turned into a dressing room. Nothing on the market compares now.

“there's rarely anything that compares to here”