British interior design studio Yellow London, founded by Cath Beckett and Liv Wallers, has completed a warm and characterful redesign of Surrey Hills House, a part-time residence for a family based in the Middle East. The clients, who spend only part of the year in the UK, wanted the property to feel distinctly British without being overly traditional, and asked Yellow London to create a home that blended a modern aesthetic with an inviting sense of comfort and ease.
Colour, texture, and atmospheric lighting formed the backbone of the brief. The clients wanted the house to feel rich in texture and low in lighting levels, creating depth and warmth throughout. They wanted colour as a contrast to their neutral home in the Middle East, but in a way that still felt calm and timeless, leaning towards earthy tones rather than bright primaries. The final schemes evolved around natural, deeper hues such as greens, rusts, pinks, and blues, repeated throughout the house in different tones to create a sense of flow and unity.
In the kitchen and sitting room, Yellow London unified the open-plan space with an earthy palette of green, rust, and navy. The existing kitchen was in good condition, so to minimise waste the original timber cabinetry was repainted in a muted green, and the dark worktop was replaced with a lighter marble to reflect more light and create balance against the deeper hues elsewhere in the room, with a transformative effect. A new marble splashback was designed with a curved profile that subtly mirrors the shape of the oven extractor, introducing a bespoke detail that adds softness to the architectural lines.
The adjoining sitting area is given its own distinct character with antique armchairs from Birdie Fortescue reupholstered in Le Manach fabric from Pierre Frey, a Jennifer Manners rug, and a bold painting by Ed Burkes. The connecting Study continues the same tonal scheme, with bespoke joinery on both sides of the room and a long built-in desk and banquette bench, allowing the space to function both practically and aesthetically as part of the home’s primary rooms.
The drawing Room uses brighter colours than the rest of the house, with emerald green walls setting more a playful tone. Intended as a family hub for games, puzzles, and entertaining, it combines comfort with energy. A thick-pile hand-knotted rug from Peter Page encourages the family to sit on the floor, while a silk-effect vinyl wallpaper from Thibaut adds texture. Velvet seating and red leather chairs from Soho Home and Artemest mix with Vaughan table lamps and Fermoie shades to bring the scheme together. The adjoining garden Room, painted in a deep earthy pink, offers a more mature atmosphere for quiet relaxation and connects directly to the garden.
Upstairs, the darker colours of the primary suite are softened by neutral linen-textured wallpaper and a patterned Pierre Frey headboard. The adjoining dressing room features bespoke joinery with oak internals and reeded panel doors, paired with Matilda Goad handles and a custom dressing table by Pandora Taylor. The bathroom follows an organic palette with limestone floor tiles, dark mosaic detailing, and Rutland London brassware.
Each of the children’s bedrooms was designed to evolve as they grow. The youngest’s green bedroom features Christopher Farr Cloth textiles and bespoke oak joinery, while the terrazzo bathroom by Diespeker includes a curved vanity echoing details from the bedroom furniture. The other bedrooms follow in complementary blue and natural tones, with Pierre Frey, Abbott & Boyd, and Peter Page pieces continuing the tactile, layered approach seen throughout the home. The guest suite, with colour drenched soft pink walls and green woodwork accents, balances calm simplicity and character.
Bespoke craftsmanship was integral to the project. Yellow London collaborated closely with local joiners to create custom pieces throughout, including built-in reading benches, desks, bathroom vanities, and intricately profiled marble surfaces. The result is a home that feels relaxed yet luxurious, offering a quietly British yet contemporary atmosphere.
Liv Wallers, Co-Founder, Yellow London, says, “We wanted to create a home that felt distinctly British but was filled with texture, depth, and colour. Every room connects to the next, yet each space still has its own personality; comfortable, layered, and beautifully balanced.”
