Chloe’s Stylish West London Home

Name: Chloe Macintosh of Made.com, her husband Alastair Macintosh, and their sons Felix and Elliott
Location: Fulham; London, UK
Size: 3,800 square feet
Years lived in: 3 years; owned

Chloe Macintosh’s West London home is a light-filled oasis, a world away from the mid-winter gloom outside. It has a glamorous, 1960s jet set vibe, and the giant Slim Aarons poolside photographs set a mood of relaxed elegance. Much of the furniture is from Chloe’s own company, Made.com, which she set up after leaving her job as an architect. Other pieces are sourced from London, Paris and India.

The Macintoshes’ four-story home was originally two houses, which they knocked into one. (It still has two front doors!) They installed sliding glass doors at the rear of the house to transform the previously dark Victorian interior into a bright, open space. On the ground floor, the large horse shoe-shaped area wraps around the central stairwell and flows from a living area for the grown ups to a kitchen-diner through to a playroom and TV room for the children, where framed photographs of the family’s adventures are displayed alongside the boys’ artwork.

Although the bones of the house are strong and streamlined, it doesn’t feel austere. There is a happy mix of classic design, antique furniture handed down from Alastair’s grandparents, vintage treasures picked up on their travels, and kitschy pieces like the bird ornaments hiding in the ceiling lights. It is a beautiful house, but first and foremost it is a home made for living in.

My Style: As an architect, I love strong, clean lines. For me the architecture comes first and the decor second. I buy a piece to fit a particular space and fulfill a particular function. The very first piece of furniture that I designed for Made.com came about that way. I wanted a dressing table to fit under the bay window near the front door. I couldn’t find what I wanted, so I came up with my own design, which became the Fonteyn dressing table.

Inspiration: I grew up in Paris and as a child visited lots of flea markets with my mother. I love sourcing vintage pieces for my home, though I mainly do it online now. I am very influenced by 1960s design — I would have loved to live then! — and the 1920s. My parents are from Tunisia originally, and that North African influence is also reflected in my home. The guest room in particular has quite a Mooresque style.

Favorite Element: I love the staircase. It is the first thing I designed in the house. I wanted to create a feeling of transparency and openness, as if the stairs were floating. They have so much detail and they cast amazing shadows. I get a lot of satisfaction just sitting and looking at them. At the same time, I do worry about the children missing their step. So, I have a sort of love/ hate relationship with them.

Biggest Challenge: The process of linking the two houses and opening up the back of the building to the garden was quite straightforward once it was underway. The hardest part was finding the right team. In the end, I went to two former colleagues from Norman Foster, who set up a design office called Bureau de Change. They also did the Made showroom.

What Friends Say: “It’s perfect for parties!” There are concealed colored disco lights in the living room and dining room, which transform the downstairs into a nightclub.

Biggest Embarrassment: The leak in the flat roof. As an architect I am very upset about that. Also the children’s rooms need some attention. That will be a fun project.

Proudest DIY: I framed all the family photographs and hung all the artwork. In other houses I just left it propped up against the walls.

Biggest Indulgence: Lighting. It is the one area I am willing to spend.

Best Advice: Don’t rush. Don’t feel pressured to do it all at once. You need to live in the space first to understand how you use it and what you actually need. Take time to place the things you already own before buying anything else. Look for pieces that fit the space. I love built in furniture. It maximizes the space.

Dream Sources: I would love to have an unlimited budget to buy art from some of the galleries in Paris. I am also dreaming about a 1920s Brazilian drinks cabinet I saw. I am thinking of putting something similar into production at Made.

• Modular sofa: Abingdon sofa, Made.com
• Cushions: Jimmie Martin collection, Made.com
• Rusted steel and leather coffee tables: Heerenhuis
• 1920s copper and mirror coffee tables: Fiona McDonald
• Artwork: Photography by Slim Aarons
• Eames plastic chairs
• Flos Arco floor lamp
• Wall shelves: made to measure
• Wooden chair and side table: Ercol
• 1920s brushed steel and brown glass medicine cabinets: Columbia Road market, London
• Metal wall hanging: vintage shop
• Ceiling light: sourced via Design Addict. “I source most of my vintage pieces through Design Addict. It is a market place for small European dealers specializing in mid-century modern.”

• Units: “Built on site by my builders.”

• Dining room table and bench: made to measure by Heerenhuis
• Chairs: The French House
• Pendant lights: Eno Studio

• Built in shelves: made on site by builders
• Artwork: Dog etchings by Chris Salmon
• Abingdon sofa: Made.com
• Cushions: donated by Chloe’s mother. “They used to be in our living room in Paris.”

• Rattan chair: originally belonged to Alastair’s grandparents
• French painting: auction in Bond Street, London

• Bedding: “From a friend who quit her job in the City to set up a linen company called Josephine Home.”
• Artwork: paintings of mausoleums by a Russian artist from a gallery in Paris
• bedside tables: folding stools from a Paris flea market
• 1960s Jacobsen side lights
• 1930s glass chandelier: The French House

• artwork: Slim Aarons

• Bed: made to order with a fabric bought in Rajasthan, India
• Bedding: Josephine Home
• Ceiling light: India
• Antique William and Mary secretary: belonged to Alastair’s grandparents
• Framed prints: “I inherited a book of hats from my grandmother. I framed some of the pages.”

• Ceiling light: India
• Prints: auction in London

• Mini Panton chairs

Thanks, Chloe!

• HOUSE TOUR ARCHIVE: Check out past house tours here.
• Interested in sharing your home with Apartment Therapy? Contact the editors through our House Tour Submission Form.
• Are you a designer/architect/decorator interested in sharing a residential project with Apartment Therapy readers? Contact the editors through our Professional Submission Form.

Follow Apartment Therapy’s board House Tours Apartment Therapy on Pinterest.

Updated daily with fresh tours full of photos for you to pin & enjoy!