Words Billie Brand
Photography Elliot Sheppard
Production Harry Cave

“I love when your eyes dance around a room and there’s something beautiful to look at wherever they land,” says Anna Jewsbury. From a precious portrait of Anna pregnant – painted by her husband, Hassan Damluji – to a 1960s glass chandelier from Alfies Antiques Market, there’s no shortage of exquisite things in her home in Marylebone. It’s hardly surprising: as the founder of Completedworks, Anna creates covetable jewellery and homewares – and when we visit, she reveals she’s recently been experimenting with large-scale pieces too. Among the new designs are a pair of abstract sculptures besides a mid-century cabinet in the living area, and a silver bar stool in her bedroom. The whole house, in fact, is dotted with her work, from sculptural ceramics to subversive glassware. “It’s all an expression of me,” she says.

Anna’s gorgeous Georgian home, where she and Hassan, an author and the founder of think tank Global Nation, live with their two children, Rafi and Maia, is one of the oldest in this north-west London neighbourhood. It has a rich and riveting history as a one-time boozer, which counted Liam Gallagher among its regulars. “People who live in the area are always telling us stories about when this used to be a pub,” smiles Anna. “Many of them have been in our living room!” But there’s little sign of its former life today. Instead, the couple have crafted tactile and tonal living spaces, which serve as a beautiful backdrop to family life and their collection of treasures. Over coffee and a selection of croissants from their local bakery, Anna and Hassan discuss the painstaking renovation process and their most prized belongings.

Anna: “Before moving here, we’d been living in a Georgian flat on this very block. Both were built in 1824. This was previously an old pub but it had been converted for communal living. When we viewed it, the living room had been divided into two bedrooms. There were crimson-red carpets, lime-green curtains and fire-exit signs everywhere. But the proportions and light – the house is south-facing – were amazing. I thought: ‘I’d rather buy something that’s a complete wreck and make it our own than someone else’s renovation.’”

Hassan: “It was in such a state but we could see that the building itself was so beautiful. We’re both into Georgian architecture, so this really appealed to us. The original pillars in the living room, for instance, are fantastic. There’s a little bit of detailing there, but it’s not overbearing and structurally they are very important.”

Anna: “When we moved in, we weren’t given any keys. Instead of a lock, there was a keypad – we got the code in December 2020. We’d never done a renovation before and decided to live here – in squalor, basically! – before the structural work began. It took five months and included raising the door heights and removing the wall in the living room. At that point, we did move out as we had a newborn, but we were back in as soon as could. I really enjoyed the initial phase of figuring out what we wanted to do – and the fact that we lived here before the renovation was very rewarding. We really felt the transition.”

Hassan: “We split the design work based on where our interest lies. I worked on the architecture because I’ve always loved buildings, whereas Anna’s expertise lies in finishings and interior design. For instance, I remodelled the staircase…”

Anna: “… But the balustrades were my vision. I like to retract, rather than embellish, which is why they cut into the wall. I love when something is a bit unexpected and makes people take a second look. We wanted to do the same with the skirting boards so that they look like they belong in an art gallery.

“I don’t like practicality. Hassan’s always telling me that there are so many chairs in the house and they’re not comfortable to sit on. But I’m interested in the palette – textures and colours. Every room has a different feel and yet there’s a common thread running throughout: raw, industrial materials – from the limewash walls to the use of aluminium in the kitchen – and a pared-back, understated aesthetic.

“In the bathroom, meanwhile, I wanted to use the same material everywhere so there was no visual disruption. We used microcement for the shower, bath and sink… It was ambitious but worth it. I love shutting myself away here. You can get lost in this room.”

Hassan: “The way the bathroom has been made from one material makes it almost feel like a piece of jewellery or a ceramic object. People say to me, ‘I love how it’s been influenced by your Middle Eastern heritage’ – my family is from Iraq – but actually it was Anna’s idea.”

Anna: “I read an article recently about how writers often use interior spaces to say something about the personality of the character. I think the same applies to real life. You can really tell a lot about someone by their interiors. It was fun thinking about designing this place; how to create a family home that respects the history of the building and expresses us artistically.”

Hassan: “Friends often ask, ‘How do you live with kids here?’ It was really important that we didn’t descend into a life without the things that brought us joy. But it’s not always neat – when Rafi gets home from school, there are toys everywhere!”

Anna: “Just don’t look behind the sofa… Our eldest is almost five and he recently went through a phase of moving all our vases around. He’s never broken one and loves rearranging them. He gets it from me. I like to move pieces around to give the space a bit of a refresh. I enjoy making new things and being able to bring them home and see what it feels like to live with them.”

Hassan: “There are lots of things here that mean something to us. We inherited the dining table and chairs from Anna’s grandma, who sadly passed away recently. Her dad used to eat his porridge at it in the 1950s. It’s really special.”

Anna: “We added our own stamp to it by reupholstering the chairs in the lilac fabric. I love that colour; my favourite thing in the house is a lilac glass chandelier on the top floor. We bought it from Alfies Antiques Market. We also have a pink one on the second storey. Both were made in the 1960s in Munaro.”

Hassan: “Living by Alfies Antiques Market has been great. It’s a source of inspiration. Church Street market is great too. There are plastic chairs and tables to sit at and the sellers go to Billingsgate every morning and come back with fresh fish to make paella. You choose your fish, they fry it up and give it to you on a big platter.”

Anna: “We also love Lisson Gallery, which is a few streets away and showcases all our favourite artists. My studio is next door, so we share walls. There’s a really beautiful old bookshop nearby too. I can spend hours there. Regent’s Park is close by and, when Frieze is on, it has the outdoor sculpture exhibition.”

Hassan: “Anna grew up in Yorkshire dreaming of living in London. She grew up far away from any art galleries, but she had Yorkshire Sculpture Park. The only way I can get Anna back to the countryside is if there’s a sculpture park. David Nash is one sculptor we particularly love, who has done multiple shows there.”

Anna: “We have his drawings, which we bought from Yorkshire Sculpture Park, on the wall. I also love the painting in the living room, which is by an artist called Sian Costello. There’s so much to discover in that work and its colours. Like my jewellery, it’s all about the small details. Every time you look at it you see something new.”

Is there a home for sale on The Modern House that’s caught your eye recently?

Anna: “I’m in love with the Void Space at the Barbican. The proportions are really special.”