Tanya Burr’s North London Terrace Is Like Stepping Into a Cosy Rom-Com

’Tis almost the season for obligatory holiday rom-coms – a duty most of us are only too happy to fulfil. No matter where in the world you are, there’s nothing as soothing as curling up on the sofa with Love Actually, You’ve Got Mail, or perhaps the cosiest of them all – The Holiday.

Someone who needn’t switch on the TV to revel in cinematic comfort is digital creator and actress Tanya Burr – she’s living in it.

“Nancy Meyers’ films are always kind of my biggest inspiration,” Tanya laughs, referring to the iconic work of The Holiday writer and director. “Those films where everything just feels lived-in, and like a real family home.”

And it's true – her Victorian Terrace in North London has all the charm of a storybook filmset with none of the artifice. Here, with her boyfriend Dan and their three-year-old son Sage, Tanya is creating a home “full of love, warmth, and special memories.”

Starting her content career over 15 years ago with YouTube makeup tutorials, Tanya quickly became one of the UK’s most influential beauty vloggers. With a penchant for new pursuits, she has since (very successfully) tried her hand at writing, baking, crafting, and in 2017 transitioned into acting – taking on parts in television, film and stage productions.

Over four million fans follow along with her journey, as invested in her career as they are in her interiors. Her latest era – grounded by domestic rituals, creative ventures, and family life – reflects a softer pace – one that prioritises home above all else.

The house wasn’t in poor condition when they found it in August last year – everything was serviceable, but its character had been stripped away over the years. It was perfectly fine, just not particularly Tanya.

However, the potential was clear, “I could tell that it was a beautiful home. It had good bones,” she explains. “The ceilings were high, there were really lovely cornices and picture rails. We peeled back the carpets and saw that the original wooden floorboards were still there.”

Tanya suspects it was previously renovated about 15 years ago, “in a way that’s quite classic in London, particularly if a house is going to be rented out. Grey carpet, white walls, with a bit of a sterile feel,” she recalls, “We've just added back in all of the warmth… all of the personality.”

The decision to update the property wasn’t a question of whether they would, or even how – that was always clear to Tanya – but rather to what extent. “We wanted it to feel warm and cosy, but elegant too. And it needed to be practical.”

Standing at the helm of such a huge undertaking – especially without an interior designer – was intimidating, but Tanya was determined to create her dream family home. The two principles she kept in mind were faithful restoration (“I love honouring the period of a home; I think it’s always what will suit it best”) and having a strong vision (“I really knew what I wanted, and I’m glad I trusted my gut and followed my instincts.”)

Her favourite room changes with the seasons, but given the late-autumn chill, the living room is the current heart of the home. When they moved in, she discovered an original fireplace hidden behind a wall, still connected to a working chimney. It’s now part of her evening ritual – lighting a fire as the day winds down. By the window sits a grand piano, her prized possession of many years, where she can tinker away as the fire crackles.

The most unexpected and impactful transformation, Tanya notes, is something you may not expect (or, may not have even heard of) – tanking the basement. It’s a decidedly unglamorous step, but one that involves lining the walls and floors with a waterproof barrier to keep moisture at bay. During the process, the basement was stripped bare – walls lined with plastic sheeting, wires exposed, and the space lit by fluorescent work lamps. “It looked really scary, like Dexter’s lair or something!” Tanya laughs.

Rather than only using the basement to store old paint cans and miscellaneous clutter, she wanted to create a multipurpose space. Now, it’s divided into a storage nook, a laundry, workout area, and snug cinema room.

Tanya explains that it wasn’t something she was particularly excited about; she simply wanted to utilise the large space beneath the house. However, it’s tied everything together, “The whole house just feels complete. I think even subconsciously it’s nicer, knowing that cosy space is underneath us, instead of this weird, damp space,” she says, “It was a huge process, but it’s added so much value.”

The learning curve has been steep, but rewarding, “They always say the best way to learn is on the job, and that's for sure true,” she muses.

Decisiveness is a fundamental skill Tanya has grown to value. As she reflects, you can have paint swatches on the walls for months, but at some point you just need to make a choice. Renovating was also a process of self-discovery, “I learned that I'm quite strong-willed and can get things done!”

With a heritage backdrop, Tanya ensures it doesn’t “feel like you’re walking into an antique shop” by integrating contemporary elements. Modern touches include a mid-century-style chair from Six the Residence and a large abstract painting in the living room.

Antique and design-forward pieces are anchored by objects with a story to tell. The chest the television rests on once belonged to Dan’s parents, purchased when they lived in Korea more than 30 years ago. “It's so cool that we’ve got something that represents a huge part of Dan’s childhood,” she says. “Pieces with memory and history attached to them are just so beautiful.”

This fondness for the handmade and heartfelt extends to the homewares, too, with personal touches like cushions made by her mum, paintings by Dan’s grandmother, and ceramics by her dad displayed throughout the house. She puts this affection for objects made with love and intention down to “being a sentimental person.” “I want to be surrounded by things that are made by my family,” she says.

An unintentionally striking focal point is an artwork Dan painted on a whim, which hangs above the dining table. “He just bought a canvas one weekend, and was like, ‘oh, I just feel like doing a painting.’ Then I hung it up in the kitchen without his permission.” A guest visiting that week commented on how perfectly it suited the space, and it’s stayed put since. “He had never intended for that to be pride of place above the kitchen dining table, but it just works!”

A voracious reader and founder of her own book club, Chapter, Tanya’s essence is perhaps best captured by the sizable bookcase in the living room. What began as a purely practical decision – put together by builders in a single day – has since become one of the home’s defining features.

“We never really thought about having a big bookcase,” she says, but she knew there were more than enough books to fill it. “It's lovely when you walk in to be met with this beautiful wall of books. It’s a really personal feature because you look through the bookcase and you can piece together someone's taste and interests.”

If you’re wondering what some of her favourite titles are, she rattles them off like old friends – Piranesi by Susanna Clarke, Betty by Tiffany McDaniel, The Dutch House by Ann Patchett, Tom Lake by Ann Patchett, and In Ascension by Martin MacInnes.

As a UN Goodwill Ambassador for Refugees, two of Tanya’s passions will converge on November 22 in London, through a collaboration between Chapter and Read for Refugees. Featuring pre-loved books from Tanya, her community, and publishing partners, the event will raise funds for UNHCR’s vital work with displaced communities around the world – and aims “to encourage people to read refugee stories, understand, and build empathy.”

Seemingly the ethos of Tanya’s home, warmth meets practicality when it comes to hosting friends and family. “I love inviting people over and treating my friends – getting nice wine and nice food and creating a lovely atmosphere for them.”

There’s a come-as-you-are philosophy here, with the focus on guests feeling cared for. “I always want people to feel relaxed, at ease,” she says. “I never want people to feel like they have to take their shoes off or put a glass down – it's like instantly putting up a barrier when you ask someone to follow the rules.”

Entertaining at home also suits them with Sage still so young. “He's got all his toys here, he’s comfortable and relaxed. It also means if things get later into the evening, we can just run upstairs, put him to bed, and carry on with our friends.”

Each day begins in the bedroom, with Dan and Sage bringing Tanya a cup of tea, followed by cuddles in bed, “I love that, it's the nicest morning ritual,” she smiles.

They were conscious of keeping the bedroom simple and stripped back. “We both agreed that we wanted it to feel like a sanctuary,” she says. The only major structural change was opening up the wall between the bedroom and bathroom to create an ensuite. “It’s a place where you can completely switch off – there’s nothing overstimulating.”

Naturally, the bedroom holds a combination of vintage, new, and personal keepsakes – an antique rug, a pendulum light by London studio PINCH, a timber dresser once belonging to Dan’s grandmother, a line illustration of Tanya drawn by Dan, and a framed menu from a special dinner.

It’s clear that home is sacred to Tanya, and there’s a balance between what’s shared and what’s kept intimate, even with such a large and dedicated following. “[Home is] purely for us as a family, and very personal,” she says. “But that’s not to say that I don't care what people think, because obviously I put so much effort into it, and I’m sharing it.”

“When the first piece of content came out and people were seeing the house for the first time, I did feel a bit nervous,” she admits. “It made me really happy that everyone seemed to love it – it just made me feel proud of what we’d created.”

Tanya has caught the renovation bug, and while she’s not yet sure what form it might take, she’s keen to explore something in the interior design space. For now, though, acting is filling her creative cup.

In a fitting twist of fate, art imitates life as Tanya is set to star alongside The White Lotus’s Jason Isaacs in her very own feel-good Christmas rom-com, Mistletoe and Wine. “Home to me means cosiness and safety,” she says, and she brings that to life, embodying that sense of warmth – on and off the screen.