Indholdsfortegnelse for September 2017 i 25 Beautiful Homes

Drawn to a warehouse aesthetic, Bobi and James Carley boldly renovated the ground floor of their Victorian semi, transforming it from a traditional space into a practical, contemporary open-plan living area. This dramatic alteration had a knock on effect on the style of the rest of their London home. ‘Over the last decade, we had taken down walls between the kitchen, dining and playroom, but that left us with awkward pillars and a disjointed living space,’ Bobi explains. ‘We wanted to be completely open-plan, and we love bare brickwork and industrial design, so painting the exposed steel beams and tweaking the space a little worked brilliantly.’ The Carleys’ house has evolved over the years to meet the needs of their daughters, Mia, now 13, Megan, 11, and Bodie, 8. At…

A staircase can create a striking first impression, whether you’re installing a new design or upgrading your current one. Before you choose your design, it’s important to consider the proportion and style of your property. For example, an oversized glass staircase would work perfectly in a generous, open-plan space, but smaller layouts would suit more compact designs. Modern versions on the market are designed with both practicality and aesthetic appeal in mind, so floating staircases or smart spiral or elliptical stairs are all viable options. Think about direction of traffic, too – what rooms do you approach the staircase from most frequently? Would a curved design or directional bottom treads work well? Tread carefully Open-tread stairs might create the illusion of extra space, but a similar effect can also be…

Peter Illsley and Rose Medlam’s rustic stone-built home in the hamlet of Agia Sophia is a world away from their traditional Victorian townhouse in the UK. The couple had been seduced by the relaxed way of life in Greece after several summer visits and, having toyed with the idea of buying a property there, they finally decided to build their own. After looking at several options, the pair settled on a dilapidated house that needed knocking down. Many prospective buyers would have balked at the idea, but Peter, a management consultant, and Rose, a retired teacher, were up for the challenge. ‘Ideally, we wanted a place to renovate, but even though we knew we’d have to start from scratch here, we were won over by the incredible views and the…

Alex and Steve Coomer decided to move out of London for the great schools on offer in and around Sevenoaks in Kent. They rented a converted stable in the area with their children, Edie, 15, and Bertie, 13, while they searched for a new home. ‘We wanted a project,’ says Alex. ‘Ideally, we were looking for a Victorian property, but found the housing stock very different to the capital.’ Despite having driven past their current home several times, Alex had never given it much consideration. ‘There was a For Sale sign outside, but I dismissed it as the property was not what I thought we were looking for,’ she explains. However, after a few months of unsuccessful viewings, Alex and Steve decided to take a look. The house was in…

Catherine Henderson, an established interior designer in London and Glasgow, originally bought this flat as her design studio. ‘It was around the corner from my showroom and was a great space to showcase fabrics, wallpapers and furniture,’ she explains. ‘When I moved to our previous home, I used a couple of rooms there as my workspace instead and rented the flat out for a number of years. However, my son has settled in London now and as I travel a lot for work, keeping a large house no longer made sense. I realised that this smaller flat would be a perfect home and gave myself six weeks to renovate it.’ With a team of tradesmen on speed dial, Catherine was able to complete the project in a mere six weeks.…

From timber, porcelain and tiles to stone, vinyl or concrete, hard flooring is a practical, stylish solution that can add character to your home. But there are several things to consider before taking the plunge. Choose the right material All flooring needs a strong, level subfloor, so if yours isn’t flat, you will need to use a levelling compound first. A kitchen floor needs to be tough, hard-wearing and long-lasting, and also needs to work with the rest of the scheme. Natural stone, slate tiles or painted boards look great in classic kitchens, while matt porcelain tiles or engineered wood suit modern rooms. If your kitchen has an industrial feel, then poured, polished concrete or practical rubber are chic and unusual choices. A solid wood floor is naturally beautiful, but…

1 COCKTAIL HOUR Webster drinks cabinet, £599, Marks & Spencer 2 IN THE SPOTLIGHT The Mortimore wall light, £95, Rockett St George 3 TEA TIME  Tom Dixon LargeForm teapot in polished brass, £150, Trouva 4 TICKING OVER Snofsa clock, £12, Ikea 5 RAY OF SUNSHINE Arthouse Gold Sunbeam mirror, £159, Very 6 DOT TO DOT Brass Dot box, £29, West Elm 7 ALL THAT GLITTERS Malini Metallic Stripe cushion, £29, Cult Furniture 8 TOP DRAWER  Madison console table, £449, Atkin and Thyme 9 FUN AND FRUITY  Havana Pineapple table lamp, £49, Dunelm…

Approaching Jodi and Sal Napolitano’s welcoming retreat on the western shore of Lake Simcoe, Ontario, you would be forgiven for thinking it had been there for many generations. But, in fact, this traditional white-and-grey painted Cape Cod-style home was built only two years ago. The Napolitanos had been looking for a bolthole as an antidote to their busy lives in Toronto when they came across a brick bungalow on a well-presented plot just an hour’s drive north of their home. Equally suited to long summer escapes as to winter skiing at nearby Mount St Louis Moonstone, the location was ideal, but the building was less appealing. ‘We had already self-built our existing home, so we weren’t too fazed by the idea of knocking down and starting again,’ says Jodi, a…

Italian interior designer Nicolò Castellini Baldissera prides himself on not having a specific style. ‘The look I create varies according to my surroundings,’ says Nicolò, ‘and I always have great respect for the country in which I find myself.’ At his home in London, this look is a wonderfully considered mix that perfectly fits its metropolitan context. Nicolò is part of a prominent Milanese family; his father, Piero Castellini Baldissera, is an architect and designer who co-founded the textile house, C&C Milano. When Nicolò bought a maisonette in the top three floors of a Victorian house in Kensington, he could have decorated it in sumptuous Italianate style, but instead he experimented with an entirely different look. Friend and interior designer Andrea Bizzarro, who project-managed the refurbishment, helped made the space…

YOUR EXCLUSIVE ITINERARY DAY 1 – WELCOME TO CORFU Following your flight from London, you will stay at the five-star MarBella Hotel for four nights. There is an optional tour through Corfu Town in the afternoon, followed by welcome drinks and dinner at the hotel. DAY 2 – AN EVENING WITH LEE DURRELL Today starts with a private guided tour around the Achilleion Palace, which is filled with mementoes of its former owners, Empress Elisabeth of Austria and Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany. You can also see the house where Gerald Durrell’s mentor Theo lived. The afternoon is free for you to explore, or enjoy the swimming pool, spa and private beach at your hotel. This evening, naturalist and writer Lee Durrell will give a fascinating talk about the…

After years of living in the same flat in the capital, Sacha and Spencer Berger decided to move somewhere more spacious. Their home may well have been a fabulous place for a party, but with a growing family – daughter Amber is now 10 and son Zac eight – they knew they needed a house with a garden. So the couple posted notes through the doors in their preferred north London neighbourhood. ‘We canvassed several streets in the area hoping to find a seller who didn’t want to pay an estate agent to sell their home,’ explains Sacha. They were in luck, as an elderly man called them up and agreed to sell. ‘The house hadn’t been decorated in years and was very old-fashioned,’ says Sacha. ‘It had a small…

The perfect home for interior designer Felicity Lock and her husband, Ian, proved to be an apartment converted from the ballroom in an old manor house. ‘We had been looking to downsize, like so many couples whose children have flown the nest,’ says Felicity. ‘Unable to find an affordable home we liked, we rented in the town of Arundel, West Sussex, for seven years, until an estate agent rang us last year and recommended that we view this property, assuring me I would know what to do with it.’ Although the property was dark inside, the couple loved the quiet location, within easy walking distance of the town. ‘It was the veranda and the vast half circular floor-to-ceiling glass doors that sold it to us, plus it was within our…

Art teacher Kate Rawlinson and her husband, Seb, love their little corner of southwest London. ‘The area’s got a real villagey feel,’ explains Kate, ‘with great pubs, lots of independent shops and a beautiful green at its heart – all winning factors for staying put in this location. It was only by chance that we spotted a row of three-storey townhouses had been built nearby.’ The couple, who recently had a child, Jake, now 6, felt they were beginning to outgrow their current home, so they booked a viewing straight away. The house ticked all their boxes: it was light and airy, with plenty of windows and, most importantly, a large open-plan family space. Another plus was that it is an ‘upside down’ house. Kate and Seb’s previous property had…

Their hearts were set on finding a characterful period property in southwest London, so Adam and Megan Tidbury were very lucky to discover one of the oldest buildings in the area was on the market during their search – and in just the location they wanted, too. Parts of the Grade II listed house dated back hundreds of years. ‘It’s rumoured that Oliver Cromwell once stayed here,’ says Megan. Although the property was habitable, it was in a sad state, with 1980s decor and any traces of its heritage almost entirely obscured. ‘It was as if some of the previous owners wanted to hide the property’s quirks, rather than celebrate them,’ remarks Megan. So the couple, who have three children – Oliver, lla and Arthur, now 12, 10 and 7…

The storage in Alex and Edward Hayes’ period home – from the long open kitchen shelving to roomy and smart glazed cabinets – not only keeps clutter under control, but plays a large role in its clever design. Creating the perfect balance between too much clutter and beautifully curated displays of decorative objects is tricky, but planning in a range of storage options will help you pull it off. Create space Every room in the house needs an area to store essential items and the trick is incorporating stylish storage that feels like an integral part of the design. Think beyond standard units to come up with creative storage solutions. Your home is likely to be full of areas of dead space that could be utilised. If you have high…

When Karen Robinson’s brother moved from London to Kent in 2011, it was only a matter of time before she was also lured by the prospect of more space for her family. From here, Karen and her partner Mark Skilton were able to work from home and commute into the capital when necessary. Having worked as a TV producer and director on several shows including Sarah Beeny’s Property Ladder, Karen retrained as an interior designer after her daughter Ruby, now 11, was born, while Mark works as a TV sound recordist. ‘I met Mark in China when we both worked on a martial arts show called Fight School,’ says Karen. ‘I loved doing location shoots but it wasn’t really conducive to family life and I didn’t fancy a desk-bound role…

A house and a dog had always been Brian Reinker’s dream, and when he sold his small central London flat to buy this north London house, all his ships came in at once. Unusually, he knew this house well even before he bought it. It had been the home of some good friends of his, and when they chose to downsize, Brian decided that it was his time to trade up. ‘The house ticked so many boxes for me,’ says Brian. ‘Including having lots of lively cafés, restaurants and shops nearby.’ Digging deep One of Brian’s first jobs was to hire an architect to help him with this project. Brian chose Martyn Clarke because he liked his thoughtfully designed, contemporary residential projects. With Martyn, Brian developed his plans to improve…

Sophisticated spaces that feel cohesive and grown-up – that was what Katherine Cook wanted to achieve in the east London home she shares with her boyfriend, Alan Anderson. ‘Having been impulsive with colour in my last place, I pared back my palette to three key shades here,’ she says. ‘Down Pipe, Pavilion Gray and Skylight, all by Farrow & Ball, lend cohesion throughout,’ explains Katherine. ‘Down Pipe is used in the sitting room, bathroom and on the kitchen cabinetry. But, as the light changes in each room, the shade looks subtly different in those spaces.’ With these serene colours as a base, Katherine then added shapely furniture and soft fabrics. Rich velvets and woven rugs are set against smooth, dark-stained floors, while classic furniture contributes timeless, cool design silhouettes. Originally…

Maybe you have already had your summer holiday, and it is just a dim and distant memory – or maybe you never got around to it, and keep thinking wistful thoughts of coastal getaways and country boltholes. Whatever your excuse for becoming misty-eyed at the thought of getting away from it all, there is no reason why you can’t recreate the feeling of a holiday home in your own garden. And, as this sugary sweet scheme proves, you can easily combine the breezy feel of a seaside trip with the idyllic charm of the countryside. If you really want to feel you have earned that garden getaway, getting the look of this outdoor space is a perfect excuse to tackle a few upcycling projects. Why not start with a simple…