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This article originally appeared in the October 2012 issue of ELLE DECOR. For more stories from our archive, subscribe to ELLE DECOR All Access.This was a new start, says Kim Hersov of the London home she moved into a couple of years ago with her two sons from a previous marriage, her new partner, artist Barry Reigate, his teenage daughter, and the young son they had together. But new for Hersov is a far cry from the radical shift in decor that often accompanies dramatic life changes. Rather than jettisoning the past and everything associated with it, Hersov filled the house with memory-laden belongings, yet still managed to create a setting that feels completely fresh. It helped that Hersov, editor-at-large for Harpers Bazaar UK, worked with interior designer Hubert Zandberg, who is also a dear friend (he is the godfather of her and Reigates child). They share a passion for flea-market shopping and eclectic finds. Hubert can second-guess me, says Hersov. They had worked together on her previous home, which she describes as proper, and he calls quite sophisticated, grown-up, and very grand.Hersov says of that earlier phase in her life, A little bit of it was playing house. Like a lot of my friends, I got married really youngand you do the things you think youre supposed to do. Then you grow into yourself.Simon UptonKim Hersov with her son, Aidan, outside their London home, which was designed by Hubert Zandberg. So when it came to designing the new place, Zandberg wanted to reflect the fact that Hersov has become a bit of a rock chick, as he puts it. Shes still very elegant, but her style has developed. So he situated beloved old pieces in unexpected settings, creating eccentric juxtapositions. A mismatched collection of silver candlesticks is now clustered on a table in the dining area, which lies in a part of the house that has a raw, industrial feeling. A pair of chinoiserie demilune tables became bathroom vanities. And a hand-painted screen is now displayed in a sitting room filled with Reigates edgy, Pop Art drawings. That was a lovely screen, and we wanted to reuse it, says Zandberg. In Kims previous house, it just blended into the whole rest of the grand aesthetic perfection. But here, it gets a voice. It starts to become witty, it starts to become exotic. It gets a new personality.Simon UptonA photograph by Mat Collishaw, a Zandberg-designed sofa upholstered in a Zimmer + Rohde cotton, and a candelabra by Hersovs partner, Barry Reigate, in the living room. The African textiles, furnishings, and objects that are layered throughout the rooms reflect another piece of Hersovs backstory. Her older sons father is South African, as is Zandberg, whom she met a decade ago in Cape Town.For Hersov, repurposing things from her past was also an act of familial respect. Her grandmother, a San Francisco socialite and grande dame, had a strong influence on Hersovs life and taste. Her new house is filled with objects, including silver candlesticks, that were gifts from this venerable lady. And the shells and coral that appear throughout Hersovs rooms are an echo of her grandparents beach house, which had a hallway lined with shells.But history also exerted a more problematic influence over the design process. The structure, built in the mid-19th century, is Grade-II Listed, which means it has historic significance, and any changes or alterations must be approved by a planning board. When Hersov acquired the house, it was derelict and had no electricity. Yet despite the fact that it had to be completely gutted, she was on a tight leash when it came to the design of any new structural elements.Simon UptonA painting by Shezad Dawood hangs above the fireplace in the family room, the carved chair is African, a custom-made ottoman is studded with buttons from a vintage military coat, and the 1950s light fixture is from Brazil; the leather-and-chrome chairs were found at a Paris flea market, the curtains are of a Pierre Frey linen, and the kilim is from Lizzo. Part of the prerequisite of a listed building is that you have to put things back, says Hersov with a sigh. Even though they had been stripped out, we had to then make sure the original plaster moldings and ceilings were restored or replaced. And I couldnt do a double-door entrance into the living room or change the placement of the staircase because the board wanted me to keep it the way they thought the original would have been. The only part that is completely new is the double-height conservatory at the back of the house; and the ground-floor kitchen and dining room were opened up to create a more expansive space.Artworks by Reigate, a framed African headdress, and a 19th-century painting in the conservatory; the pillows are covered in African block-print fabrics, and the floors are polished concrete.Simon UptonIn the primary bedroom, a Louis XVI-style bench upholstered in a Pierre Frey fabric sits at the foot of the custom-made four-poster, the bamboo chairs were found at a Paris flea market; and the desks came from a Madrid jewelry store; the screens are by Nominka DAlbanella, the walls are covered in silk, and the rug is from Lizzo. Simply getting planning approval took a whole year, during which Reigate used the house as a painting studio, in part to keep out squatters, who have a habit of laying claim to Londons uninhabited buildings. And while the finished rooms hardly feel like they belong to a contemporary art gallery, they nonetheless house an extensive collection of significant works, including a photograph by Mat Collishaw, a painting by Alastair Mackinven, photographs by Pieter Hugo, and numerous works by Reigate. A lot of our friends are artists, so the art is quite personal, says Hersov.See Inside This Edgy, Sophisticated AbodeThe eclectic collection adds a new layer to Hersovs personal history, and feels completely at home among the assortment of objects that fills the rooms. I dont think art should be put on a pedestal, explains Zandberg. Im a little bit slapdash about it. If the room is sincere, and the art is good, it will work. Its like peopleif theyre true to themselves, when they meet, it works.Its equally true of old friends and new. In interior design, as in life, its wonderful when they all get along.
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