Interior designer homes in Bath

Nick Woodhouse and John Law pride themselves on really getting to know their clients, delivering houses and gardens that reflect their likes and dislikes. But what happens when they design their own home?

Their Victorian villa has been a labour of love for the couple over the last few years, and now features deep earthy tones and personal touches throughout. The couple moved to Bath in 2009, when both left careers in advertising to retrain and pursue their shared passion – design. Having set up Woodhouse and Law the same year, they soon opened their first showroom on Bathwick Hill, still the working hub of their business today. The showroom is now accompanied by a new studio, home to a design team of ten.

“The practice was set up to break down the traditional barriers between interior and garden design,” says Nick, “working holistically to create seamless, cohesive designs from inside to out. One thing we agreed from the outset was that there was to be no signature style – every scheme should be different, reflecting the very personal style of the clients themselves.”

With that in mind, the studio team work hard to really get to know each client, their lifestyle and day-to-day requirements. In doing so, they look each time to curate a home that reflects the individual’s experiences, interests and personality.

This also makes the job so much more fun and varied, with recent schemes ranging from monochromatic and contemporary to a country house filled with pattern and colour. “It’s perhaps thanks to this adaptability,” Nick says, “that we regularly win repeat business, and have recently started a seventh project for the same family: a contemporary new-build in the hills of Bath.”

With their own home and garden, of course, Nick and John have been able to dig deeper into their own personal style, bringing a range of tastes and influences to the project. With a team including degree-trained interior architects, the studio’s skills reach beyond those of a traditional interior designer and decorator, so they relished the opportunity to remodel the house.

A large kitchen diner was created, and physical barriers to the garden removed, bringing in views from room to room. Collectively, the changes ensure a greater sense of cohesion between all their home’s spaces, while maintaining a different offering for each room, from the light-filled kitchen/diner to the cosy snug, a space drenched in a deep earthy red and the perfect spot to hide away from the world with a book or some music. (Or knock yourself out – try both at once!)

The couple love to entertain, and have a large extended family, so it was important to have a dining space big enough to accommodate bigger groups on occasion; one, too, that provided a strong contrast to the more intimate kitchen with its round table.

They commissioned a Dutch furniture maker for the larger table: its heavy oak top grounds the scheme, providing a lovely contrast to a Gustavian armoire – a birthday present to John from Nick.

Wallpaper in this space is woven, adding warmth and texture while also creating the perfect backdrop for the couple’s collectibles and art. The salon-hang incorporates more sentimental pieces amongst the paintings; these include everything from opera glasses to John’s grandfather’s watercolour tablet. “When I walk through the room, I can picture my grandfather working away at the dining table, splashing paint around”, says John. “It’s a great way to remember him, without just hanging a photograph, and brings his infectious energy to the room.”

The fabric on the blinds not only creates a sense of fun but also perfectly frames the view through to the kitchen, and on to the garden beyond. Here, Nick took inspiration from his travels to North Africa, the far wall painted in a dusky terracotta, with multi-stem olive trees framing the outdoor log fireplace. While the garden offers areas for entertaining and dining, it’s also a very private space in which to potter.