Valerie's sensitive approach to 113 Woodsford Square, London, a four storey 1970's town house near Holland Park included the extensive use of tiling, empathising with the modernity of the architecture and the partially tiled exterior façade. "I see tiling as a neutral product which doesn't have a personality of its own, enabling it to become the most beautiful backdrop" she says.

Working on the ground floor which included a cloakroom, kitchen and informal dining area opening out onto the garden Valerie used a 600x600mm rectified porcelain tile to retain and accentuate a sense of space. Unusually for a luxury residence in London the tiles continue into the ground floor sitting and dining areas rather than being substituted for a soft finish. A key element of the ground floor was the under-floor heating provided by Devi as its heats the room without drying the air and has proved to be cost effective. Wedi tile backer board was used before tiling because its excellent thermal insulation qualities makes it ideal for applications where electrical under-tile heating is proposed. The heat created is reflected up through the tiles rather than being lost in the concrete slab or the void under a wooden floor. As a result, the efficiency of electrical under-tile heating systems is dramatically improved when a minimum thickness 10mm Wedi board is used.  The ground floor cloakroom incorporated a bright mosaic feature wall injecting a flood of colour into what is normally a rather bland area.

Valerie is enthusiastic about the wet bar area on the first floor consisting of a sink, hot and cold water, refrigeration and microwave plus storage facility. "I designed this area for today's fast moving lifestyle to include all the facilities of a kitchen with none of the conventionality" she says.

Reflecting the wallpaper print in one of the second floor bedrooms and en-suite her supplier Reed Harris etched the design onto black granite tiles which were used to form part of the backdrop.

Each of the four bedrooms has a fully tiled en-suite shower or bathroom taking into consideration the colour scheme of the adjoining room. It was important to the designer that each en-suite had its own identity to avoid the building feeling like an hotel.

Valerie's personality is reflected in this stunning property; her Irish background frequently draws her toward using natural materials like granite whilst skilfully integrating splashes of colour to produce the most subtle of settings.

As James Reed of Reed Harris, suppliers of the tiling says "Valerie has the unique ability not only to design stunning interiors but to plan meticulously, understanding the mechanics and practicalities of a project and working effectively with everyone to produce a building of great beauty and character.

Roz Rustell