This colorful Grade II-listed Georgian London townhouse designed for a couple who love to host is a masterclass in creating a sociable space

The design of this Belgravia townhouse was conceived with many different scenarios in mind – quiet suppers after work and television nights by the fire being a couple of examples – but it truly comes into its own during the party season.

‘We designed two entrances to the kitchen, one from the hallway and the other from the rear reception room, which ensures a wonderful flow,’ notes Octavia Dickinson, the creative behind these welcoming schemes.

Octavia expands, ‘We added a drinks cabinet to both the ground-floor sitting room and the first-floor drawing room, so both these levels can be used for entertaining when you have a lot of guests milling across both floors.’

Octavia is known for her beautifully layered decorating style that exudes an overriding sense of warmth: think deep sofas, tactile fabrics, and soft, diffused light provided by ample lamps.

‘I grew up in an incredibly comfortable house where everyone had an interest in interiors – we have always talked about interior design and cared about it,’ she says. As is often the case, her effortless aesthetic belies a gimlet eye for detail: ‘I like to design a room knowing exactly how it will be used,’ she says.

‘For example, I will specify a very different filling for a sofa intended primarily for entertaining than I would for one that is destined for lounging on in front of the television.’

The homeowner, a first-time buyer, was drawn to Octavia’s style as she, too, had grown up in interesting, colorful homes. ‘Her parents had used rather inventive interior decorators and she was up for being quite playful, quite joyful,’ recollects Octavia.

She had also amassed a considerable collection of art, and recognized in Octavia – who studied art history at The Courtauld Institute and worked for several years as an art researcher – someone who could help her weave these pieces into the rooms.

‘I saw some of the key works of art in my client’s former rental property and so I was able to determine where they would go but much of the hanging was decided once the schemes were complete,’ says Octavia. ‘I am rather of the belief that artwork should be moved around and that if you love a piece, you will always find a place for it.’

When Octavia came on board, renovations of the Grade II-listed Georgian townhouse were already well underway: the client’s architect had designed the extension off the kitchen as well as the joinery and bathrooms throughout.

‘The kitchen cabinetry had also been signed off, but we were able to tweak it with furniture that creates a less fitted feel,’ says Octavia of a pair of low cabinets and wall shelves she commissioned from a craftsman.

These pieces were painted in a bright turquoise shade as a punchy contrast to the coral-pink walls. ‘I have this coral color in my sitting room and the client loved it – it’s an incredible backdrop for everything,’ approves Octavia, who further softened the space with pretty frilled lampshades and comfortable upholstered dining chairs.

Octavia invariably starts a scheme with a fabric and in the case of the first-floor drawing room, it was the sofa’s exuberant floral. ‘We had to crane the sofa in through the window – I couldn’t watch,’ she remembers.

The same fabric was used for the blind in the adjoining snug, a jewel box of a space that is separated from the drawing room with theatrical circus-striped curtains. ‘I lined the curtains with fabric that matches the snug’s wallpaper so that when they are drawn, you feel completely enveloped and cozy,’ explains Octavia, who created a similarly cosseting effect in the main bedroom with half-tester drapes that showcase another exquisite floral.

Decorating with antiques is key to Octavia’s richly layered approach to design and they include sumptuously patterned rugs and arresting wall sconces and mirrors. It took time to hunt down some of the pieces, most notably the striking glazed mahogany bookcase in the drawing room, which serves as one of the two drinks cabinets.

‘I had a vision of this in my mind from the outset but it was probably the last thing we found; the measurements had to be quite precise as the doors couldn’t encroach too much on the available space,’ says Octavia, adding, ‘Sometimes, it’s worth holding out for just the right piece.