Meet the Team: Sales Team Assistant Katherine Banks' favourite colourful homes
In our ‘Meet the Team’ series, we’re getting to know The Modern House staff. Here, we’re talking to Sales Team Assistant Katherine Banks about colourful homes, from soft-hued plasterwork to outlandish paintwork.
Katherine joined The Modern House after completing an MA in Architectural History from the University of Edinburgh, where her dissertation examined the Scandinavian influence on post-war British buildings. Here, Katherine looks back through our Journal features and sales roster and to explain how colour can be used in thoughtful, original ways.
Housden House, South Hill Park, London NW3
“This is a lesson in colour being incorporated into the architecture of the building itself, rather than being just decoration. The house isn’t filled with stuff, so the splashes of colour really help to animate the space.
“Modernism can be harsh and this would be too, with all the concrete and right angles, but it retains a softness to it. The dining room is particularly camp, which I love, with purple, orange and blue elements working harmoniously together somehow.”
The Clock House, Berriman Road, London N7
“I think this is my favourite house we’ve ever sold. Every detail has been so cleverly thought about so that it appears both minimalist and maximalist at the same time.
“There aren’t a lot of elements, but the ones there are have been thought about and are elegantly expressive. It shows you that not everything has to be ultra-functional.
“I love the concentrated bursts of colour that have been used throughout the house. At the front, there is a bold green window, while the back is marked by a small red window. The coloured nylon door handles give each floor its own identity.”
Great Guildford Street, London SE1
“I don’t think you see a lot of green in contemporary design, especially not done well. It’s a colour that I wouldn’t necessarily think to use but I think this just works so well, and really suits the Victorian fabric of the building.
“I love the colour of the tiles in the kitchen, too. The different textures and shades of the green and greys here make the space very atmospheric.”
Steph Wilson’s plant-filled interiors in Brixton
“Pink has always been my colour, and I especially like it when its used with green; it’s a combo that will always work.
“I quite like the idea of keeping a house quite simple except for the bathroom, which can be playful and allow you to go a bit mad. They should be quite indulgent spaces and, for me, the ultimate luxury while having a bath is to be surrounded by houseplants.”
Yasuyo Harvey’s beautiful interiors in the London suburbs
“The raw plaster here has a natural softness to it, which shows you that colour doesn’t have to be in your face, it can be delicate and calming too. I can imagine the morning light in here being soft and gentle.
“I also think the way Yasuyo Harvey has used it as a backdrop to her objects and botanicals is really considered.”
Read more: Meet the Team: Appraisals Specialist Jake Elliott on the evolution of British Modernism
