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Interior designer Adam Knight says a strict budget shaped the renovation of a four-storey Tufnell Park townhouse, despite its bespoke joinery and custom kitchen features. The project kept much of the existing home, avoided structural work and electrical changes, and focused spending on selected areas such as the kitchen.
Interior designer Adam Knight says a strict budget shaped the renovation of a four-storey townhouse in Tufnell Park, north London, even though the finished home features bespoke joinery, a custom L-shaped kitchen island and a burl-wood wet bar. In a Livingetc feature, Knight described prioritizing selected elements, retaining existing furnishings and avoiding major work to control costs.
Knight, of London-based Nefarious Interiors, said the budget was tighter than the scale of the house 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 team spent on parts of the design that mattered most to the owners, including the kitchen, while looking for savings elsewhere.
Those savings came partly from keeping features from the previous home. Knight said the project avoided structural work and did not move electrical wiring. Existing sofas were reupholstered rather than replaced, with bespoke cushions used to refresh their appearance. He also cited curtain fabric bought on sale at Ian Mankin for £19 per meter.
The kitchen layout was changed from a large rectangular island to an L-shaped design. Knight said it offered more surface area for people to gather around. A bench along the dining table’s window side replaced matching chairs, which he said blocked less of the view and made it easier for children to sit down and get up.
Where the Renovation Budget Went
The project offers a specific example of how design priorities can shape renovation spending: money went toward a few visible or useful features, while savings came from preserving existing elements and avoiding major alterations. The article does not provide a total project budget or a quantified comparison with a more extensive renovation, so it cannot establish how much money the choices saved.
For readers planning a renovation, the details show the kinds of trade-offs Knight says were made in this home: reupholstery instead of replacement, a sale-priced fabric, and a furniture layout chosen for family use. These are examples from one project, not a cost guide, and the source does not say whether every choice would be suitable for other homes.
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Designing Around Family Life
The owners’ preferences informed the home’s mid-century-influenced palette and layout. Knight told Livingetc that their references drew on American imagery and that olive green was chosen partly because it recalled a jacket worn by the owner’s father. The design uses rich brown tones and green in rooms where the family expected to spend much of its time.
The arrangement also reflects the owners’ interest in hosting. The basement includes a lounge, dining area and bar, while seating areas elsewhere give family members and guests places to gather. An upstairs playroom sits beside the formal living room, allowing children to play near adults. Knight said the clients did not need another seating area and wanted the children to be easy to supervise.
According to the source, Knight established Nefarious Interiors in 2020 after previously working on restaurant interiors for the Corbin & King Group. Livingetc also reported that he was named to 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, speaking to Livingetc
Project Costs Remain Unreported
Livingetc’s feature does not disclose the overall renovation budget, the cost of individual bespoke elements, or the final amount spent. It also gives no itemized account of savings from retaining furniture, avoiding structural work or leaving electrical wiring in place. Knight’s account describes the project’s approach, but the reported material does not independently quantify its financial results.
The source does not specify when the renovation took place or provide a timeline, contractor details or a full list of work completed. It is also unclear how the reported £19-per-meter curtain fabric compared with other options available at the time. The feature presents the home and the designer’s account; it does not provide an independent cost assessment.
No Further Project Update Given
The source describes a completed home and does not announce another project milestone, a future phase of work or a new budget disclosure. No follow-up date or additional figures are provided. Any fuller assessment of the renovation’s costs would require an itemized budget or further information from the owners or design firm.
Key Questions
Where is the townhouse?
The four-storey home is in Tufnell Park, north London, according to Livingetc.
Who designed the renovation?
Adam Knight of Nefarious Interiors led the design, the Livingetc feature reports.
What choices helped control costs?
Knight said the project kept elements from the previous home, avoided structural work and moving electrical wiring, reupholstered existing sofas, and used sale-priced curtain fabric. The source does not quantify the savings.
What was changed in the kitchen?
The previous large rectangular island was replaced with an L-shaped island. Knight said the new shape provided more surface area for people to gather around.
How much did the renovation cost overall?
The total budget was not reported. Livingetc quotes Knight describing strict limits but does not give the project’s total cost or itemized expenses.
Source: rss
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