“When we first saw it, it wasn’t love at first sight,” says Charlotte Simone founder, Charlotte Beecham. “The house was super run down and needed a lot of work and that’s what drew us to the property. We knew we could rip it out and make it our own.”
And, that’s exactly what she did. Beecham’s label is famous for its fluffy, faux fur coats and accessories, seen on the likes of Dua Lipa, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry and Sienna Miller, and the designer’s unique stamp is everywhere you look inside this stylish townhouse, overlooking the canal, and moments from Regent’s Park.
“I wanted to have a country feel to the space, while still keeping some of the original features of the Victorian house,” says the designer, who collaborated on the interiors with Lizzie Green.
“We tried to restore as much of the cornicing as we could and do the same with the door frames. I was trying to find this balance between my personal style, which is perhaps more cosy and country, and the house and its original features, which are perhaps a bit more elegant and Victorian.”
“I feel like my office is very pink and very loud, so I like that my house is more neutral with its palette. The colours are creams and greens, which feel relaxing. I wanted the house to feel calm so that, when I came home, there was an element of switching off and having a peaceful space.”
Beecham’s office is in Marylebone, just across Regent’s Park. “I’ve always lived around this area, more the Camden side, but I’ve made my way towards Primrose Hill. I love having the green and having the park. I get to walk to work with Harold (her dog) which is nice… There’s a real village feel to the high street here, everyone is really friendly, and I love that. I have all my local places that I go to on the weekends and it’s also nice having the canal; to live in London and hear a bird.”
Inside, the interiors nod to touch and texture that also characterise the label Beecham launched in 2015, straight after university. “I started my last year in New York, figuring out what I was going to do, and decided to have a go of it. But it was really when I came back to London that it snowballed and started happening for me.”
It wasn’t long before Charlotte Simone was stocked in Saks and Selfridge’s but then Covid hit, and Beecham lost her biggest customers overnight. “I had to pivot so I moved the traditional model I was working with to a drop model. The collection will only be on sale for a week and all the stock is limited edition.” Her designs now have a cult following and hero pieces regularly sell out within hours during their twice-yearly drops.
At the same time as revolutionising the way she ran her business, Beecham was also renovating her home, a process that took 18 months from start to finish. She now lives here with her husband and baby daughter, and a major part of the project was knocking through the basement downstairs to create an enormous open-plan kitchen/diner/snug.
“Down here was made up of about six different rooms and the staircase came right down the middle of this whole floor where the island is, so we moved it and did some structural changes.”
During the work, the builders unearthed the original ceiling which Beecham kept and restored. “My husband hated it, but I was like ‘Please! It adds so much character to the space.’ As soon as I saw the criss-cross, the arches, the wood in the ceiling, I got really excited. It’s such a huge feature in this room. I feel like the rest of it is quite neutral, so the ceiling takes centre stage.”
Another feature of the space is the exposed wall of brick. “The original bricks were damp so we couldn’t use them, and I was very specific about the colour of the bricks I wanted… I picked out all of those bricks myself. My husband took a video of me picking them because he was like: ‘You’re insane’. Our marriage was fully on the brink at this point!”
There’s also an enormous skylight that brings light directly into the centre of the room above the kitchen island. “It’s a quirky feature but also allows a lot of light into the space which is nice for a basement kitchen. That was my husband’s suggestion; I’ll give him that one and I’ll take the bricks,” she says. “I also love the tongue and groove wood panelling effect. I feel like it adds texture, and a country feel to the space.”
Beecham’s personal aesthetic can be seen in the furniture and art she’s chosen for the house, including a fluffy ‘Yeti’ Andrew Martin chair in her bedroom and an enormous reclaimed wooden kitchen table from Home Barn. “We drove out and picked that specific piece of wood for it. You can buy it online, unless you are like me, and want to go and see it and pick the one you want because you know each one will be different.”
The designer’s coffee table is an eclectic mix of pieces she’s sourced from markets, Zara Home, Home Barn, nkuku and Design Vintage.
On the walls, a favourite piece is an oil by Caroline Yates which hangs downstairs. “[The artist] dreams of space, so all her paintings are of space. I don’t see space when I look at this picture, I see very calming, neutral tones, but I love that that is her artist’s interpretation. It makes me happy as an explanation.”
There’s also a David Shrigley tea towel that Beecham ironed and framed outside the downstairs bathroom, and a large black and white oil by Coco Capitán on the landing upstairs. “I bought that piece from my friend’s gallery, Maximillian William, and that’s the first piece of art I’ve bought myself. I love it and all her work.”
The designer enjoys sourcing pieces from local markets, including Vauxhall, but doesn’t always end up buying what she went for. “I’m really reluctant to put anything up on the walls that I don’t love, so I’m taking my time to save and source for those special things. I love waiting and going to markets and to salvage fairs. I need big pieces, but I get distracted by bowls. I have a very extensive bowl collection!”
She’s even considered putting her bowls up on display. “I thought about how some people have chopping boards on their walls as decoration; I thought about putting up bowls, but they might come out too far. I’ll keep you posted.”
In the meantime, Beecham is gearing herself up for the next Charlotte Simone drop at 8pm on 2nd October. “There’s lots of new faux fur, new materials, new vegan leathers and trims. There are also some new silhouettes; we’ve tried a few bomber jackets which is new for the brand. The drop is only 14 styles. I’m nervous but excited.”
Yes, the new drop is out now, and is currently flying. Charlotte followed up to say, “It’s the final hours of Winter Drop 1, designed in London & limited edition, you’ve got to get it or regret it!”
Here’s our pick of the bunch:
Ginger
Naomi
Lexy
