After a few years of hard graft, they finally got to the really exciting bit: leveling the space. ‘It was a long, productive process of going back and forth with design schemes and Koo made some of her own boards so she could keep track of them,’ explains Victoria. They settled on a calm, earthy palette, but Victoria encouraged Coo to embrace bold shades in some areas: in the Boot Room, this takes the form of tongue-and-groove walls painted in the Paint & Paper Library’s ‘Blue Gum’, while in the Snug, it’s painted through the walls and protrudes from the interior. Little Green’s ‘Boxington’ and a rich red zellige tiled chimneypiece. ‘A good way to calm the color was to drape it over the ceiling and WoodworkSo there’s not a stark contrast between the two,’ explains Victoria. Koon loved wallpaper, but having grown up in a mismatched home, she was eager to find a new way to approach it. 36 Bourne Street’s ‘Tutti Frutti’ wraps around one of the guest bedrooms, while the same paper was used to line a glazed dresser sourced from Dean Antiques in the kitchen.
When it came to furniture, Koo and Victoria created a large Pinterest inventory to find out what they already had and what gaps there were. ‘She had all these wonderful things,’ Victoria recalls referencing dresser In the kitchen, a French medicine display cabinet in their en-suite bathroom (which Victoria elevated by lining it with Les Indiens ‘Little Flower’ fabric) and a Chesterfield sofa in the master bedroom, now upholstered in Verre Granny’s ‘Folly’ in straw. Additional pieces were sourced, including a stunning prep table for a sculpture from Max Rollit and an antique cabinet in the living area, which was then hand-painted. Floral mural By Florence Swerida. Other pieces, including Fager’s own ‘breakfast sofa’ in the dining area off the kitchen and his ‘English daybed’ in the living area, were also appropriately made. The result is a series of spaces that look like they’ve evolved slowly over time rather than in one sweep. ‘I think I’ve done my job well when nobody realizes what I’ve done,’ explains Victoria. ‘I wanted this to be a home that was beautifully polished and well considered, but also relaxed.’
Koo and Danny now regard Victoria as one of the family and regularly collaborate with her to provide plans for their elegant, lavishly appointed garden rooms at Bonny Outbuildings, which have gained a cult-like following. In fact, the round, porthole window above their breakfast table has become Bonnie’s signature. outside, the garden Hosted in an ever-expanding stable of bonis, potential customers are invited to come and see them in their natural habitat. You realize that Koo, Danny and their children are truly living their dreams, supported by a home that makes life well and truly easy. As for Victoria, this was without question a dream project. ‘It started my career as a decorator.’
