TL;DR
Get furniture and decor delivered free with Prime
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
- Member-only deals all year
Interior designer Adam Knight says a strict budget guided the renovation of a four-storey Tufnell Park townhouse, despite its bespoke-looking finishes. The project kept much of the existing home, avoided structural work and electrical changes, and concentrated spending on selected features such as the kitchen.
Interior designer Adam Knight says a strict budget shaped the redesign of a four-storey townhouse in Tufnell Park, north London, guiding decisions to retain existing features and focus spending on selected areas, including the kitchen. The project, featured by Livingetc, combines bespoke details with cost-saving choices that Knight says helped keep the work within the available budget.
Knight, of London-based studio Nefarious Interiors, said the budget was tighter than the house’s scale might suggest. “For a house this size, there wasn’t as much money to play with as you might expect,” he told Livingetc. He said the kitchen was one of the areas where the clients chose to spend more, while other parts of the home required a more cost-effective approach.
The designer said the project retained as much as possible from the home’s previous condition. The team avoided structural work and did not move electrical fittings, and existing sofas were reupholstered rather than replaced. Knight said bespoke cushions provided a less expensive way to change the furniture’s appearance than buying a new couch.
Other choices combined practical needs with cost control. Knight said curtain fabric was bought on sale at Ian Mankin for £19 per metre. In the kitchen, a former large rectangular island was replaced by a custom L-shaped design, which he said provided more surface area and made it easier for people to gather. A bench beside the dining table’s window side took the place of matching chairs, preserving the view and helping children get in and out.
Where the Budget Went
The project offers a concrete example of how design decisions can affect renovation costs without removing the visual character of a home. Knight’s account points to several measures—reusing furniture, avoiding major building work and shopping sale fabric—alongside selective spending on features intended to have a stronger effect, such as the kitchen.
The choices also reflect how the family uses the house. The owners like to entertain, according to Knight, so the layout includes several places to sit and gather, including a basement lounge and bar, the kitchen island and a window-side bench. An upstairs playroom sits beside the formal living room, allowing children and adults to use separate areas while remaining close.
For readers planning a renovation, the report illustrates a set of design strategies rather than a verified cost comparison. Livingetc does not provide a total project budget, final cost, or itemized savings, so the article cannot establish how much the decisions reduced the overall spend.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Designing Around the Existing House
The home’s palette and furnishings were shaped by the owners’ references and family preferences, Knight said. He described the inspiration as American and mid-century, with rich brown tones drawn from Americana imagery and green selected partly for a personal reason: one shade recalled a jacket worn by the owner’s father. Knight said the team gave the references a British interpretation suited to the townhouse’s tall, long proportions.
The design includes olive greens, rich woods and several distinct gathering spaces. A wet bar in the basement family lounge supports the owners’ interest in hosting. Elsewhere, a glass panel separates a dressing area without blocking light. Knight said decorative beading around a light switch addressed the placement of the switches, which otherwise would have been at an inconvenient level.
Knight founded Nefarious Interiors in 2020 after designing restaurant interiors for the Corbin & King Group. Livingetc also reported that he was included in the inaugural Next in Design cohort in 2025 by its sister publication, Homes & Gardens.
“For a house this size, there wasn’t as much money to play with as you might expect.”
— Adam Knight, founder of Nefarious Interiors
Project Costs Remain Undisclosed
Livingetc’s report does not state the project’s overall budget, final expenditure or timeline. It also does not quantify savings from retaining the existing sofas, avoiding structural changes, leaving electrical fittings in place or buying discounted fabric. Knight’s comments describe the design approach, but the source provides no independent cost assessment or comparison with a renovation that involved more extensive work.
The article does not give a full inventory of what was retained, replaced or newly commissioned, or provide a breakdown of costs for the bespoke kitchen, bar and other joinery. The £19-per-metre fabric price is a specific example reported by Knight, not a measure of total furnishing costs.
No Further Project Update Listed
The source presents the townhouse as a completed interior project and does not announce additional work, a future renovation phase or a follow-up budget report. Further financial detail would be needed to assess the total cost or calculate savings. For now, the reported development is the publication of Knight’s account of how the design was shaped by a limited budget and the household’s preferences.
Key Questions
Where is the townhouse?
It is a four-storey home in Tufnell Park, north London, featured in a report by Livingetc.
Who designed the townhouse?
Adam Knight of London-based Nefarious Interiors led the design, according to Livingetc.
What choices helped control costs?
Knight said the project retained existing elements where possible, avoided structural work and moving electrical fittings, reupholstered sofas, and used curtain fabric bought on sale. The report does not quantify the savings.
Was the kitchen a priority in the budget?
Yes. Knight said the kitchen was one of the areas where the team spent more, including on a custom L-shaped island designed to provide more surface area and make gathering easier.
How much did the renovation cost?
The total cost is not disclosed in the Livingetc report. It gives one fabric price—£19 per metre—but no overall budget or itemized expenses.
Source: rss
Halloween Picks
halloween
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
