Tuesday 26 May 2009

Abigail Ahern

Well, design afficionados must have seen the rounds of Abigail Ahern's London house many times (there are a few pictures here), so I was intrigued to see some shots which feature her signature look (currently dark and moody greys) but didn't look like her London home.

Then I discovered it was her sister's home, a willing recipient of an Ahern makeover. I love dark grey walls (depending on what light comes into a property) and I think it looks very classy and cohesive when the skirtings, radiators and picture rails are painted the same colour.

Also, 'wallpapering' a whole section of the bedroom with bus blinds looks very striking. What's your feeling about bus blinds/old signs if it's somewhere you've never been? I don't think I would ever buy a sign of a bus route which I didn't have any affiliation to - I'm a South London girl and I think plastering my walls with East End routes wouldn't be quite appropriate.

Photos by Graham Atkins Hughes.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

What a fab home. I LOVE the giant pear in the kitchen – and I adore grey walls (that's pretty much what every wall is in our flat now).

As for transport signs, I have one - but as a non-Londoner I have 'to and from the zoo'. Certainly suits our home!

P.K said...

i agree with you, if i never visited or lived in the city etc., artifacts like that have little meaning to me. the interior is beautiful if you have light, or prefer to live in darkness.

Anonymous said...

Lovely home... Pretty yellows & brigt pinks... with the contrast greys and blues.. How nice.. The bus blinds/old signs look great as well... WOW !!

Polly Rowan said...

I love the greys too. Lovely.
I like the splashes of mustard around the room too.
I know what you mean about bus signs. There's something quite personal about bus routes that you take. For me it would be the 22, 14, 220 (I'm also a South London girl!)

Kellie Collis said...

What fabulous colours!!!

anna and the ring said...

Heart, heart, heart. I grew up amongst those signs. Oh the 354! Ah the joys of south east london! I now live north of the river - I had no idea the blind would be sooo huge. God bless ebay. One day I hope to use it as a carpet and laquer it to a floor.

Blair Friedeman said...

Love the signs!! Adore the bold and bright pops of color.

Lynne said...

Anna - sounds like a great idea and it would make a floor really interesting!

Dawn M said...

Abigail gives colour a natural place

London Caker said...

What fantastic colours!! I love the contrast of grey and brilliant shades of pink, blue and yellow.

I love the bus blinds. I am addicted to buses - so much better than the tube. I like being able to see other bits of London as I journey through them and bus journeys give you time to think and dream. As someone who grew up in West London, and has since lived in North, East and now South London I think I would be happy with my favourite bus routes from all over the capital on my walls :)

Lee said...

Pretty damn gorgeous. Wouldn't it be nice to have a sister that could do a redesign like this.

RLMEnglish said...

The middle picture is stunning, I am so jealous!

joy refurbished said...

What an interesting use of color!

Elizabeth said...

Ooh, love those first two photos!

Brown Button Trading said...

These are fabulous! (and i obviously live under a rock as I have never heard of her before) - don't laugh!
Love the dark and the colour x

Andree Frieze said...

Hi
got a press release from John Lewis this morning and they have a lovely Qwerty mug (£7) with a typewriter on that given you like tea and typewriters should tickle your fancy... but I can't find it on their website yet.