A Georgian house in Hampstead that was once home to John Constable thoughtfully reimagined for modern life

The clients, a couple in their thirties, had appointed Howark in the final throes of purchasing the Georgian townhouse in Hampstead in 2024. James and Saskia began work just two weeks later, alongside Flower Michelin Architects to help with the complex heritage permissions. While the house had undergone previous renovations, it was still curiously underwhelming inside, with rooms painted grey and the kitchen squeezed into an improbably small front room. Fortunately, the owners had fallen for the building’s spirit and its slightly quirky layout rather than its finishes. ‘They could see the magic in the house but knew it needed quite a lot to make it what they wanted,’ says Saskia. ‘They were pretty open to what it would and could become, but they were also clear that they loved its historical nature.’

Amy Heycock

Amy Heycock

With two centuries of history wrapped up in the house – Constable lived here from 1827 until his death in 1837 – it was easy to approach the interiors with reverence alone. But Saskia and James were keen to create something more personal; a home that nods to its artistic past while reflecting the way the couple live today. Rather than maximising the bedrooms across the house’s five floors, they chose a layout centred around generous living spaces and two studies. ‘They were happy to have two bedrooms and a flexible guest room, which is in one of the studies,’ says James. ‘It is a design that meets them at the point they are at right now.’

In a corner of the kitchen, a bespoke freestanding banquette and table create an inviting spot for informal dining. The chairs are from Soho Home and the ‘Lucia’ rise-and-fall pendant light is from Hector Finch.

Amy Heycock

The most transformative decision was relocating the kitchen – designed by Howark and made by Apron Kitchens – to the lower-ground level, where it would have sat historically, a proposal that found instant favour with planning inspectors. ‘We reopened the huge fireplace and created a room that didn’t really exist before. It’s a beautiful kitchen you can eat in, which also has a connection to the garden,’ says James. Flagstones, exposed stonework and an off-white palette give the room an easy, almost rural-like simplicity, while a timber island and wood-burning stove lend warmth. ‘We didn't use a huge amount of saturated colour here because we wanted the natural materials to sing,’ explains Saskia. A particularly charming touch is the cosy banquette dining spot tucked into a corner. ‘You can seat four,’ she adds. ‘They are not big entertainers and said that is all they need.’

In the ground-floor study, the writing table is an 1800s French antique with a new bespoke leather top from Sheffield-based D J Green Antiques. It is paired with desk chair from David Seyfried upholstered in a Pierre Frey fabric. The ceiling light is Visual Comfort.

Amy Heycock

The series of six botanical artworks above the sofa are from McBain & Byrne found at the 2025 Decorative Fair.

Amy Heycock

That honesty about their daily life shaped the entire project. ‘Sometimes people get sucked into thinking how they should live,’ says James. ‘But these clients were really clear about how they would use the house.’ On the ground floor, the former kitchen at the front of the house has become the flexible study-cum-spare room, while a day room offers a place to read, paint and relax. ‘They wanted a beautiful receiving room that doesn’t focus around having a television,’ says Saskia.

References to Constable, who drew inspiration from the house’s location for his famous paintings of Hampstead Heath, are subtle but deliberate. The decorative approach is soft, with a palette of blush and sage alongside a thread of ochre that weaves its way through the house. ‘There’s a looseness and a painterly quality to what we tried to do,’ says Saskia. ‘Nothing is too robust – everything kind of flows into each other.’

The downstairs cloakroom is papered in an ochre wallcovering from Phillip Jeffries, which is complemented by woodwork painted in ‘Cosmos’ by House of Hackney. Visual Comfort wall lights flank a mirror made bespoke by Chelsea Vivash.

Amy Heycock

Despite the house having started as an empty shell – the clients, who were first-time buyers, didn’t even own cutlery – the rooms are now deeply layered. A mix of antiques, sourced from specialist dealers such as Brownrigg, vintage finds and contemporary upholstery prevents the interior from feeling stuffy. Several other pieces are bespoke, most notably a striking four-poster bed in limed oak, antique brass and polished plaster in the main bedroom. There is a distinct focus on craftsmanship – rugs were custom-made to fit each room’s proportions, and in the bathrooms, handmade ceramic tiles are combined with marble to avoid a sterile feel.

In the main bedroom, walls in ‘Hay’ by Farrow & Ball provide a warm backdrop for a custom-made four-poster bed hung with curtains in a Nobilis fabric, and cushions in Whiteworks and Pierre Frey fabrics. The bedside reading lights are from Porta Romana and the table lamp is from Vaughan.

Amy Heycock

‘The whole house is a little bit unexpected in the juxtaposition of things,’ says Saskia. Perhaps this is most apparent in the first-floor sitting room, which features a mural by California-based graffiti artist Neck Face that was commissioned by the owners and adds a note of playful irreverence. ‘It was a very personal choice by them,’ says James. ‘Constable was a contemporary artist in his own time so we think it really embraces the spirit of the artist in this house.’ A theatrical note is struck in the guest bathroom, which features a dramatic shower curtain cascading over a copper freestanding bath.

The rug is another bespoke design in collaboration with Hugo Sebastian.

Amy Heycock

The sofa at the foot of the bed is from Love Your Home, upholstered in fabric by Manuel Canovas.

Amy Heycock

Working on a Grade II*-listed building inevitably required patience and considered negotiations. ‘You had to ask permission for everything down to changing a doorknob,’ explains Saskia. ‘We were lucky to work with Chantal Michelin from Flower Michelin who is very experienced with listed buildings. She introduced us to the heritage consultant who we had a great rapport with and understood what we were trying to do.’ There were surprise discoveries, too, such as a fireplace inset hidden behind a wall in the main bedroom, which has been carefully restored.

For Saskia and James, the house’s history was always something to live alongside. ‘You don’t normally know who lived in a property before, but here we were always aware of it,’ notes James. Instead of a monument to Constable, however, it feels exactly as a home should – layered, evolving and creative, qualities the artist himself would surely appreciate.

Howark Design: howark-design.co.uk