{"id":799853,"date":"2026-03-02T21:58:40","date_gmt":"2026-03-02T21:58:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/799853\/"},"modified":"2026-03-02T21:58:40","modified_gmt":"2026-03-02T21:58:40","slug":"this-london-house-was-all-gray-but-a-bright-joyful-color-refresh-changed-everything","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/799853\/","title":{"rendered":"This London House Was All Gray \u2014 But a Bright, Joyful Color Refresh Changed Everything"},"content":{"rendered":"

Apartment Therapy and Yahoo may earn commission from links in this article. Pricing and availability are subject to change.<\/p>\n

ABOUT THIS TOUR<\/p>\n

HOME TYPE:<\/b> House<\/p>\n

LOCATION:<\/b> Clapham, London, United Kingdom<\/p>\n

STYLE:<\/b> Colorful<\/p>\n

BEDROOMS:<\/b> 3<\/p>\n

SQUARE FEET:<\/b> 1300<\/p>\n

On gloomy overcast London days, this 1,300-square-foot home used to blend right in with gray skies. But once this family of four hired designer Justine Guillermou<\/a>, known for her vibrant, personality-packed interiors, the house transformed into something much more colorful, cheerful, and full of life.<\/p>\n

\"AJustine Guillermou<\/a> is a “former rocket engineer at Ariane Group, she has appeared on the British interior design TV show The Big Interiors Battle.” And as a “podcast producer and creator of the online course Colour Your Home Happy<\/a>, she inspires listeners and students to trust their instincts and design homes that are uniquely joyful.” Credit: Neil Perry\/Neil Perry Photography<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cWe fell in love with this house for its space and the neighbourhood, but we needed help making it feel like home,\u201d begins homeowner Caroline. \u201cIt was very consistent with the rest of the neighbourhood: a lot of white and gray. On paper, it was spacious and bright, but in the middle of a gray London autumn or winter, it didn\u2019t exactly spark much joy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Cozy\"ColorfulThe favorite element of the homeowners, the orange and white grid wallpaper, didn’t start that way: “When Justine talked about it, I thought ‘fair chance this will be ugly, but she knows better’ and she did know better. I adore that bit of the house,” Caroline the homeowner admits. Credit: Neil Perry\/Neil Perry Photography<\/a>\"Bright\"Bright“While the house feels a bit out of sync with the rest of the street now, it is in the best way possible. It\u2019s warm, soulful, and genuinely joyful,” Caroline the homeowner explains.
Credit: Neil Perry\/Neil Perry Photography<\/a>\"Bright\"Bright“The process of leaning into color and pattern has become second nature to us. The house is now a space that manages to be high-energy and deeply calming all at once,” writes Caroline. Credit: Neil Perry\/Neil Perry Photography<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cOur goal was a bit of a contradiction: We wanted the house to spark dopamine and joy, but also feel incredibly calm. We knew what we wanted to feel, but we didn\u2019t know how to get there, so we asked Justine to help us bridge that gap,\u201d Caroline continues.<\/p>\n

\"Bright<\/p>\n

Justine, who\u2019s the founder of Rainbow Shaker<\/a>, known for \u201cexpressive, color-forward spaces that balance playfulness with purpose,\u201d was able to transform this three-bedroom home, likely built in the 1920s, without any structural renovation. She calls it a \u201chigh-impact emotional redesign.\u201d The hallway, staircase, kitchen, living areas, home office, and both children\u2019s rooms all got a vibrant refresh \u2014 and the design started in the entry.<\/p>\n

\"Cozy\"BrightlySomething special Justine did for their son’s room is that the son loves pink, but was “nervous about what his friends would think. We created a hidden pink nook just for him, complete with curtains he can close \u2014 a personal, joyful space that balances self-expression with comfort.” Credit: Neil Perry\/Neil Perry Photography<\/a>\"Cozy\"Colorful<\/p>\n

\u201cI always believe the first 30 seconds inside a home should feel intentional. From there, we tackled the kitchen (the heart of family life), then the children\u2019s rooms,\u201d Justine explains of the refresh, which took several months to complete, and included bespoke carpentry, decor, lighting upgrades, vinyl work, and styling.<\/p>\n

\"Colorful<\/p>\n

Despite the happy final result of this home, there were design difficulties Justine had to tackle, like rooms that didn\u2019t visually connect, storage that just didn\u2019t function, and two kids who had very imaginative and big design wishes.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe overcame these challenges by designing from memory, not trends,\u201d Justine writes. \u201cThe client\u2019s joyful Miami holiday became our emotional anchor, and from there, we built a structured, Bauhaus-inspired color strategy to create cohesion across the home.\u201d No one could possibly call this home gloomy or gray now.<\/p>\n

Resources\"BrightlyPAINT & COLORS<\/strong>Related: House Tour: Smart (And Stylish!) Storage Lets This Couple Thrive in Just 320 Square Feet<\/p>\n