House Of Lexden

25/08/2026

18/08/2026

Do we always have to keep period features?

This is my own house and I know some people will think this was sacrilege.

I adore period features. I just didn’t love these period features.

This was originally one long, narrow, dual-aspect living/dining room. I chopped it up to create a utility and cloakroom, which meant the living room lost some of its natural light.

With its north-facing aspect, the dark beams, red brick and off-centre fireplace suddenly felt too heavy.

So I took them out.

For me, good interior design isn’t about keeping something simply because it’s old. It’s about understanding the architecture, the light, the proportions and how you actually want to live in the space.

Would you have kept it?

11/05/2026

Sometimes it’s not the layout that changes a space.
It’s the atmosphere.

This little utility room started life with bright red walls, a shower, mismatched finishes and no real sense of calm. The footprint stayed largely the same, we did knock out an internal wall, but by softening the palette, introducing texture, new cabinetry and layering warmth through materials and lighting, the whole feeling of the room changed.

I’ve also been exploring how styling influences emotion within a space. The final images in this carousel are creative styling explorations, looking at how softness, restraint and layered detail can completely shift the mood of a room.

Good design is rarely about adding more.
Usually, it’s about editing well.

House of Lexden
Classic design with a bit of rock and roll.

14/04/2026

Hello, I’m Michaela, interior designer and Founder of House of Lexden

Before interiors, I worked in music, film then ran a London television agency, matching people to projects across the BBC, ITV and Channel 4.

It taught me something I still use every day:-
how to read people, understand what they really need, and bring the right elements together effortlessly.

Now, I do the same with homes.

I design calm, considered interiors that feel instinctive rather than styled. Spaces that support how you live, not just how they look.

Classic design, with a touch of rock and roll.

Parisian in spirit — magnolia in bloom, light through tall windows, calm with a quiet edge.

Based in Essex, working across Suffolk, Norfolk and beyond.

If you’re ready to create a home that feels entirely yours, you can book a complimentary discovery call via the link in my bio

Love M x

06/04/2026

This corner just feels right.

It’s the light more than anything.

I think people assume you need loads to make a space work, but you don’t. It’s just getting the balance right.

This is my favourite kind of design. Quiet, but it does something.

House of Lexden

Interior designer Essex
Luxury interior design UK
Interior design Suffolk
Lighting design interiors
Calm home design
Neutral interior styling
Material led design
Interior styling details
High end interiors UK

03/04/2026

This room had everything. Height, light, and beautiful proportions.
But it needed clarity.

We stripped it right back, new carpet, new radiator, and a full redecoration to let the architecture lead again.

This space has been left intentionally simple.
I wanted to show how I think about a room like this and where I would take it.

Because good design is not about filling a space. It is about understanding what it already gives you and responding to that.

The final image shows my design direction. A softer, more considered approach to lighting and layout that works with the architecture rather than competing with it.

This is where design moves beyond decorating. It becomes composition.

Final image shown as a design concept.

House of Lexden

Interior designer Essex
Victorian home renovation
Bay window living room
Period property interiors