If anyone were to succeed in bringing a slice of country living into the heart of the city, it would be Emma Sims Hilditch. The Sims Hilditch name is, after all, practically synonymous with modern rustic luxe. Whether designing for an uptown Knightsbridge apartment or re-invigorating a grade II listed family home in the Cotswolds, the designer and her team are experts at infusing every one of their spaces with that classic English country aesthetic. Who better to take on the task of transforming a smart Primrose Hill townhouse for a client who craved pastoral warmth and cozy? Keep scrolling to see more.

Country Strong

With a beautiful country home already to their name, the owners of this handsome London abode had their hearts set on recreating the warmth and homeliness of their rural lifestyle in the city. “Our brief was that it should not feel like a typical London home, but should reference our client’s love for the English countryside,” explains Sims Hilditch.

“The design needed to fulfill the practical functionality of an easy-to-run home for someone working long hours in the city, while also being a welcoming retreat at weekends.”

Working History

More often than not, renovation projects come with whole a host of unforeseen complications and troubles. Yet with the Primrose Hill Townhouse, it seems everything went without a hitch. It helped that the Sims Hilditch team had worked with these clients before. “This allowed [us] to work efficiently, knowing the client well and understanding their palette preferences for their city home,” notes Sims Hilditch.

What’s more, while the property was a little dated, there wasn’t anything structurally wrong with the building itself. The only major work was converting the back of the basement into an office, utility space and cloakroom.

Bold and Beautiful

While a typical Sims Hilditch project favors a predominantly neutral color scheme, this city home embraces a bolder palette. Beautiful cobalt blues, dark grays and rich browns feature throughout.

“We really enjoyed creating the color scheme for the master bedroom,” reveals the designer. “The wall paint was quite dramatic for us, however, it worked really well with the proportions of the room.”

It’s In The Details

One thing that always impresses about a Sims Hilditch design is the diligent attention to detail. And that especially comes through in the formal drawing room.

For instance, original features, like the ornate cornices, hark back to the historic roots of the townhouse. Meanwhile an abundance of texture – such as the embroidered damask drapes – bring depth and richness to a stylistically simple space. Even the framed map art pieces were recolored so as to fit seamlessly into the scheme.

“Space is always an issue in the city, therefore we needed to ensure we prioritized the space to their lifestyle. We incorporated a utility space that could be exposed and closed away with bi-folding doors when they were entertaining guests.”

Country Living in the City

Combining classic design with functionality, the Primrose Hill Townhouse fulfills the client’s brief to a tee.”[Sims Hilditch] has created us the most wonderful home we could have ever imagined. And the process has been a real pleasure,” confirm the owners.

Overall, by imparting their signature rustic charm on a London townhouse, Sims Hilditch demonstrates with aplomb how to create a pastoral refuge in the midst of urban city living. It seems it might just be possible to have the best of both worlds after all.