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Q&A with Sarah-Louise and Christopher, founders of the No.17 Store
Over the past five years, Instagram superstars Sarah-Louise and Christopher have transformed their Victorian terraced house in South London into a gorgeous, design-led home, sharing every step of the way with their fans.
Time for tea
When the couple first got in touch with us back in 2019, they spoke to our marketing lead Katie, who has looked after them throughout their project. Four years later and with renovations now complete, Katie finally got to step inside the home the family shares with their 190K followers. They made her feel right at home with a “proper Northern cuppa”.
Q&A
Firstly, congratulations on your adorable new arrival. How have things changed since Baby Navy came along?
Well, the organisation has become absolutely critical!
Building a home and starting a family often go hand in hand. How have your followers responded to this new stage of your lives?
Really positively, many of them are in the same boat. We’ve dedicated a new segment on our Instagram to parenthood, alongside our regular lifestyle, travel and hospitality content.
You like to capture the natural light around the house. From this snap on Baby Navy’s segment it looks like you’re seeing more sunrises. Are you slowing down a notch or is Navy inspiring you to kick start the next project?
We’d love to landscape the garden. A refresh of the master bedroom could also be on the cards. And we’ll be adding to our ever-growing lighting collection
Do you have any favourite interior designers?
We draw from amazing designers like Rose Uniacke, Vincent Van Duysen, and Amber Lewis.
What was it about the house that you first fell in love with?
We love the location and we were instantly drawn to the original features. We couldn’t imagine living in a new-build at this time, period properties just have so much character. Although, we would be open to designing and building a new-build property for ourselves in the future.
Interesting! Is No.17 not your forever home then?
Definitely not! We would love to take on another project in South West London. We particularly love double-fronted Victorian villas. We also have dreams of a property abroad. Our hope is to eventually find our forever home somewhere in the countryside.
What does the future hold for No.17 as a brand?
We aim to expand the No.17 store. We’d also like to move house and expand on the interior design consultancy business. We’ve actually got a secret project coming, so head over to our Instagram for a few teasers!
What made Castrads a good fit for your project?
We spent a lot of time researching radiators, there is a lot to take into consideration. Castrads are the whole package, the quality is second to none. The Castrads product and brand aesthetic definitely stood out to us, and we felt it aligned with our own. Also the customer service we received was exceptional.
“Castrads are the whole package, the quality is second to none.”
Our favourite features
The Utility Room
Katie fell in love with the scalloped marble sink in the utility room. This is one of many features in the house that the couple designed themselves and had custom made. This beautiful sink as well as the marble shower were crafted in collaboration with British brand Porter Bathrooms.
They have used marble throughout the house, inspired particularly by their travels across Italy. Sarah-Louise said, “It’s such a bold addition, and the natural stone is so beautiful.”
The Walk-in Wardrobe
Sarah-Louise encapsulates the feel of the walk-in wardrobe, captioning this image – “Plaster, Oak, Iron and Velvet”. A Castrads Grace “takes centre stage” under the window, while Tadelakt plaster gives a subtle sheen to the doors. The couple chose this Moroccan wall treatment for the “texture and movement” it introduces to a room. The cast iron brings a further textural element to the space and is finished here in Ceramic White from our Signature Collection.
Get the look: Order a Signature Collection Lights sample box, which includes Ceramic White, to see how cast iron looks and feels in your home.
The Entrance Hall
The entrance to No.17 is illuminated by original stained glass and heated with a Castrads Mercury cast iron radiator. Sarah-Louise said, “The key for us is combining function and beauty. We wanted something sleek and elegant in our hallway and the Mercury in Matt Black with brass valves fit the brief perfectly.”
Sarah-Louise and Christopher’s top tips for home renovators:
Plan well, know your budget (and add 10%)
Be aware of lead times
Mostly importantly – check your products as soon as they arrive! Of course, you want to keep things packaged and away from dust and damage. However, if it comes to installation day and there’s a problem, more significant issues can stem from this.
Further Reading
We’re looking forward to following the further adventures of Sarah-Louise and Christopher. In the meantime, read our case study about friends of No.17, @thetrianglehouse, who also used our Grace radiators in their A-frame cabin renovation.
