Artist/illustrator Russell Loughlan is a serial house remodeler who labels his latest project “a total impulse buy.” Located on Dolphin Street in the seaside town of Deal, in Kent, England, the 1768 Georgian row house had been untouched since the 1960s. And to see his fixer-upper now, you can understand why he fell for it. But what began as a cosmetic passion project devolved: this is a tale of hidden rot, rebuilding, and blown budgets. “The moment I viewed it, I just knew I had to have it,” Russell tells us. “It broke me financially and mentally, but it was worth it.”
For months now, Julie and I have been watching Russell chart his renovation on Instagram @thehouseondolphinst while camping out on friends’ sofas during the messiest stages. He’s now enjoying the results of his work—before succumbing to his next place. Russell has a master’s degree in fine art from Central St. Martins, and, since moving to Deal in 2005, he’s overhauled three houses (the first also on Dolphin Street). He recently thrilled his followers by announcing the launch of his own interior design studio, The House on Dolphin Street. Russell is ready to take on commissions and also to offer color consulting and hands-on styling. Join us for a look at what he can do (and scroll to the end for a glimpse of the project as it was).
Photography courtesy of Russell Loughlan.
![the four story structure is on a block of historic fisherman\2\17;s hous 17](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/the-house-on-dolphin-street-exterior-paint-samples-733x916.jpg)
![the untouched state of the house was a big selling point for russell. the struc 18](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/the-house-on-dolphin-street-front-door-detail-as-was-733x733.jpg)
“I ported over a mortgage from the sale of my last property,” says Russell. “It was a gamble but felt worth it as the resale would far outweigh any issues the house might have—or so I thought. I had a middle-rate survey done, but because the house was covered in layers of paneling, lino, carpets, etc., they couldn’t detect the rot, and the external structure was sound.” One month into the work—after the new kitchen had been installed—plumbers putting in pipes found live woodworms and crumbling rafters. “It turned out that the inside of the house was essentially a broken umbrella: there was nothing holding the rafters to anything,” Russell told The Modern House offshoot Inigo. “The roof and every support, ceiling, and floor had to be replaced: our renovation budget was completely blown.” Throwing in the towel didn’t feel like an option—the house wasn’t salable as it was, so Russell refinanced his mortgage, took out bank loans, maxed out his credit cards, and carried on.
![the interior had long ago been stripped of most of its period details. after th 19](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/the-house-on-dolphin-street-front-door-733x916.jpg)
![thanks to russell\2\17;s art background, he is not afraid to make daring 20](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/the-house-on-dolphin-street-front-vestibule-733x916.jpg)
![the sofa is a reupholstered ebay purchase and the brass swing light is the coop 21](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/the-house-on-dolphin-street-living-room-sofa-733x804.jpg)
![the parlor\2\17;s original restored fireplace is inset with a wood stove. 22](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/house-on-dolphin-parlorstreet-russell-louglan-733x878.jpg)
![the paneling is painted hardwick white, a warm gray that farrow & ball crea 23](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/house-on-dolphin-street-sitting-area-russell-loughlan-733x893.jpg)
![a glazed partition opens the kitchen to the living area and provides a perfect 24](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/the-house-on-dolphin-street-interior-windows-733x916.jpg)
![russell is constantly switching up the dining ensemble. we like this compact ea 25](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/the-house-on-dolphin-street-dining-table-733x733.jpg)
![russell introduced beadboard paneling and used color blocks of blue to create p 26](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/house-on-dolphin-street-kitchen-733x827.jpg)
![farrow & ball\2\17;s hague blue meets oval room blue on the back wal 27](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/house-on-dolphin-street-kitchen-russell-loughlan-733x792.jpg)
![moroccan zellige in transparent pastel turquoise from the mosaic factory tile t 28](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/house-on-dolphin-street-kitchen-russell-loughlan-733x841.jpg)
![after painting stripes in the downstairs hall, he kept going upstairs. the blue 29](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/house-on-dolphin-street-striped-foyer-russell-loughlan-733x998.jpg)
![the guest room has a nautical theme. the abstract landscape painting is by loca 30](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/house-on-dolphin-street-bedroom-russell-loughlan-733x791.jpg)
![the bedroom came with a fireplace that was little more than a hole in the wall. 31](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/house-on-dolphin-street-narrow-fireplace-russell-loughlan-733x916.jpg)
![the garret is russell\2\17;s art studio—that\2\17;s some o 32](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/the-house-on-dolphin-street-studio-733x905.jpg)
![in contrast to the cozy tavern feel of the ground floor, the upstairs is awash 33](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/the-house-on-dolphin-street-exterior-paint-studio-door-733x916.jpg)
![russell says he has \2\20;zero talent\2\2\1; when it comes to con 34](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/house-on-dolphin-street-striped-bath-russell-loughlan-733x977.jpg)
![russell hand striped his bedroom, too: \2\20;it might look crazy but str 35](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/house-on-dolphin-street-striped-bedroom-russell-loughlan-733x977.jpg)
Before and In Progress
![from russell\2\17;s remodeling chronicles—the day he hauled away 36](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/the-house-on-dolphin-street-removed-carpeting-being-hauled-away-733x733.jpg)
![interior paint samples on new paneling. 37](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/the-house-on-dolphin-street-interior-paint-samples-733x733.jpg)
![the kitchen had a narrow breakfast bar and reeded glass windows, many of which 38](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/the-house-on-dolphin-street-kitchen-before-733x733.jpg)
![the sink was replaced but the kitchen windows and door remain. 39](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/house-on-dolphin-street-kitchen-before-733x841.jpg)
![creating the stripes involved tape and a lot of careful measuring. \2\20 40](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/wall-stripe-painting-in-prgoress-the-house-on-dolphin-street-733x887.jpg)
![the bathroom nearly finished. 41](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/painted-stripes-in-progress-house-on-dolphin-street-733x977.jpg)
Russell says he plans to rent out the house for the holidays—and eventually to put it on the market. Stayed tuned @thehouseondolphinst.
Here are four more remodeling projects with eye-opening color palettes:
- Paddington Pied-a-Terre: A Colorful Small Space London Design by Beata Heuman
- Daring Color Ideas to Steal from the Finn Juhl House in Finland
- Lonika Chande’s Apartment for a Demanding Client (Her Mother)
- Kitchen of the Week: The ‘Angry Food Blogger’ at Home in Hong Kong
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