Mark Howorth, the founder of luxury interior design firm Callender Howorth, tells us how he brought elegant Indian influences to a period property on NW3’s Heath Drive
Callender Howorth’s most recent project took them to a Grade II-listed property in Hampstead’s Heath Drive. Here, the high-end interior design specialists were tasked with restoring an Arts and Crafts period building, weaving in references to the client’s Indian heritage at the same time. Founder Mark Howorth was understandably cheery when reflecting on how the assignment panned out.
“The project involved a complete architectural and interior remodelling of the house to create a stunning contemporary family home,” explains Mark, while remaining “sensitive to the architectural history of the house and its Grade II-listed status.”
The property in question was a three-storey home on Heath Drive. It was one of a number of Arts and Crafts houses constructed at the start of the 20th century, designed by the renowned architect CHB Quennell and completed in 1905. The house had since been converted into three separate apartments in the 1970s, and Mark’s team were tasked with restoring the property to its former glory with a modern take on the Arts and Crafts style.
“The house is in a lovely part of Hampstead,” continues Mark, who founded Callender Howorth in 1997. “It’s on a beautiful street, alongside some beautiful period properties. The client was delightful too, and they bought into our vision to restore the house back to what it deserved to be.”
Callender Howorth’s interior stylists selected all furniture with their client specifically in mind. Vintage pieces were sourced directly from India to fit the remit, while two paintings from the celebrated Indian artist Sakti Burman were also included to furnish the property’s drawing room with an artistic, authentic finishing touch.
Mark explains: “The client wanted an Indian feel to the house, so we studied a lot of Indian design and architecture – we even looked at the Taj Mahal – there are so many vibrant colours and tones, it gave us a whole palette of ideas to work from.
“We included fretwork that replicated Indian styling, a mural, arts and mosaics; the house has a lovely energy to it (as a result).”
As well as fusing the glamour of a restored period property with home comforts inspired by India, Mark’s team designed a space that was both family-friendly and conducive to hosting plenty of guests.
“This is a family home but the client also entertains a lot, so it was important for us to create a space that could handle lots of people. The space was opened out to create lots of natural light, it was designed to be quite open and bright.”
The project involved a vast amount of work across the entirety of the house, but which of the property’s rooms was Mark most pleased with?
“We created this multi-purpose room on the first floor,” he says. “It had a terrace overlooking the garden and functioned as a games room, a study and a library. The family have told me that they use that room all the time; it’s a space for arts and crafts, studying, reading, playing games – it’s a lovely area where they can congregate.”
Given that the work took 18 months to complete, it is perhaps unsurprising to hear that Mark’s team formed a strong bond with the clients throughout the renovation process.
“The clients themselves were delighted with the end result, and they hosted a dinner party for me and my team as a thank you. They cooked a beautiful Indian feast and we went round to celebrate.
“With our clients, it’s such a long process that you become friends, we’re definitely going to keep in touch. I’m actually renovating my own place at the moment and have said I will have them round for a ‘re-match’ dinner once it’s complete!”
For more information, visit Callender Howorth’s website here, or call them on 0207 336 8560.
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