Indholdsfortegnelse for May 2023 i 25 Beautiful Homes

EDITOR’S LETTER Taking on a dilapidated home and giving it a complete overhaul – is that your idea of heaven or hell? It was the DREAM of first-time property owner Elly MacDonald, whose Victorian apartment is on the cover this month. Elly had the INCREDIBLE VISION to see beyond its neglected state and has turned it into the wonderful SHOW-STOPPING home it is today (page 37). Such vision and energy is always ADMIRABLE, but if your plans are a little more low-key, you’ll love our bathroom case study (page 112). Owners Pauline and Andrew Leat bought their Grade II-listed house after all the rooms had been renovated except the bathrooms. This left them free to focus on upgrading the fixtures and fittings to a LUXURIOUS level and complete their…

HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY A detached house, built in the 1930s LOCATION Hertfordshire ROOMS Sitting room, dining room, kitchen/living area, family room, laundry/boot room, two cloakrooms, four bedrooms, three bathrooms After living in Vancouver, Canada, for a dozen years, it was time for Rebecca Rutter and her husband, David, to return to the UK with their daughters, Mabel, 18, and Isadora, 16. ‘David was offered a job here and we wanted to be closer to our elderly parents, so it made sense to move back,’ explains Rebecca of their return to Hertfordshire, where they had lived before departing for Canada. After researching properties online, Rebecca made a journey back to the UK to see six houses. ‘I viewed several that were immaculate and entirely suitable, but just didn’t make me…

HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY Victorian house ROOMS Sitting room, family room, snug, kitchen-diner, study, five bedrooms, five bathrooms LOCATION Southeast London HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED IN THIS PROJECT? The owners are both lawyers, with a son, seven, and daughter, three. They bought the house in 2018 then commissioned architects to create an open-plan kitchen and living space, as well as installing new bathrooms. I was delighted when they shortlisted me to design three living rooms and three bedrooms, after finding my business, Kinder Design (kinderdesign.co.uk) on a platform called Design For Me (designfor-me.com). WHAT WERE THE HOMEOWNERS’ BIGGEST PRIORITIES? With several living spaces linked by glass partition doors, it was important to get each zone working properly and give them all a point of difference. We felt one of…

no. 12 HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY A second floor lateral apartment across two Regency townhouses ROOMS Sitting room, kitchen, dining room, laundry room, study, three bedrooms, two bathrooms LOCATION Brighton A feeling of grandeur set against an elegant period backdrop was the vision for designer Suzy Fairfield’s exquisite Regency apartment – ‘but without the formality that can sometimes go with that,’ she says. Suzy shares the large lateral flat, created on the second floor of two adjoining Italianate-influenced period townhouses, with husband David and the four children they have between them, Clara, 16, and Max, 23, who live at home, as well as Olivia and Josh, both 31, who live abroad – and dog Salty, a Sporting Lucas Terrier. With her design skills and their shared love of characterful properties…

HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY Apartment in a 1930s building ROOMS Sitting room, kitchen-dining/living area, cloakroom, three bedrooms, bathroom, shower room LOCATION Amsterdam ‘Having curtains on the doors leading out to the garden gives the option for having a cosy backdrop at night’ Nicoline Beerkens has come to know that if she sets herself a deadline, an eclectic and vibrant interior follows soon after. ‘A lot of people ask me how I ever get a sense that a home is completed,’ says the Amsterdam-based interior designer, ‘But the answer is simple: if I know there will be a photoshoot or an interview, then everything, down to the accessories and styling, must be done before that moment.’ Living only two doors away when this apartment in a 1939 building came on the…

HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY A detached single-storey home built in the 1950s and set in an acre of woodland ROOMS Sitting/dining room, kitchen, utility room, playroom, three bedrooms, bathroom, shower room, exterior sauna and gym LOCATION Scotland Seamus and Lucy Shanks were looking for a place to escape their busy lives in London and found it in Melrose, Scotland. ‘When we saw this house, we knew immediately we could create something beautiful,’ says Seamus. They fell for the setting; an acre of woodland with an almost magical sense of remoteness. Yet the property is just a few minutes’ walk from the foodie town of Melrose, with all the convenience that offers a young family. It wasn’t just the woodland setting that won over the couple. ‘I recognised the value in…

PROJECT DETAILS DESIGNER Alex Keith, director at Otta Design (otta-design.com) PROPERTY Edwardian terrace WORK Part of a full house redesign LOCATION Southwest London Having lived in their terraced house for a decade, the homeowners decided it was time for change and more colour in their life. They called in Alex Keith of Otta Design to deliver joyous schemes, starting with this guest room. 1 BRINGING WARMTH ‘The homeowners were desperate to inject some warmth and vibrancy into their home, and this guest bedroom epitomises the look and feel they set out to achieve,’ says Alex. ‘We chose a subtle patterned wallpaper to provide a backdrop for uplifting yellow accents and a statement fuchsia headboard.’ 2 MAKING SPACE Alex had the challenge of squeezing in a king-size bed and as much…

MODERN COUNTRY Slick ticking stripes, a hint of brass, colourful throws and cheeky accessories take the traditional rustic-charm look to another level GEO BRIGHTS Bold geometrics and tactile finishes pack a punch, bringing a sense of energy and dynamism to both modern and traditional interiors FRESH FLORALS A spring update needs a few botanical designs – these pieces with stylised motifs in beautiful hues will perk up any scheme for the new season…

HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY Detached listed house on a Victorian square ROOMS Sitting room, kitchen with dining/living area, family room, pantry, playroom, boot room, study, utility room, cloakroom, six bedrooms, five bathrooms LOCATION Dublin ‘LAYER YOUR LIGHTING – THINK BRIGHTER OVERHEAD LIGHTING TO INSPIRE FOCUS AND SOFT, WARM LAMPS WHEN IT IS TIME TO RELAX’ The sheer scale of the spaces was something that Lara Wasson had to learn to adapt to when she began renovating this detached Victorian house in Dublin for her young family of five. ‘We don’t have lots of rooms, but each one is very large,’ affirms Lara, who opted to project manage the work. ‘I used to be a fashion buyer and the two skill sets are not dissimilar,’ she explains, adding – ‘It meant…

HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY Grade II-listed 17th-century farmhouse which has been extended and renovated many times ROOMS Sitting room, dining room, kitchen-diner/living area, study, games room, boot room, four bedrooms, four bathrooms LOCATION Surrey WHAT ATTRACTED YOU TO THIS HOUSE? My background is in property development: buying properties that I can renovate, upgrading the bones of the building and transforming the interior. I am drawn to properties where simple changes can be hugely effective – very much the case here. TELL US YOUR PRIORITIES. The house was not fully used, as the previous family’s children had moved away. My priority was to make each room usable, creating dedicated areas for different activities, with the kitchen as the central hub. WAS THE HOUSE IN GOOD CONDITION? It had been added to…

for Sarah and John Schmitt, who have five children aged between five and 19, the goal was always to build their own dream home. So when they found the ideal piece of land on a hillside of the smart neighbourhood of Altamont in West Vancouver – which sits at the base of Cypress Mountain a short walk from the ocean – they seized the opportunity. ‘The Schmitts had a vision and it was inspiring,’ recalls Kelly Deck, who sits at the helm of Kelly Deck Design and took care of the interiors. ‘It started with a simple description: “minimal Parisian”. They wanted the blend of old and new that our studio thrives on creating. In the end, the project evolved to be more traditional than minimal.’ Relaxed and European-inspired, the…

HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY Former Victorian grammar school headmaster’s house ROOMS Sitting room, dining room, kitchen, two bedrooms, bathroom LOCATION Kent ‘We inherited a 20-year-old freestanding kitchen which wasn’t to our taste so we rejigged it using pieces of wood salvaged from previous projects’ Perched on a hill in a Kent seaside town is a rather handsome brick-built former boys’ grammar school built in 1886 which could easily be mistaken for an ecclesiastical building with its bell tower, buttresses and large windows. Designed by Robert Wheeler – an architect noted for his churches and chapels – it’s no surprise to see the design hallmarks of a place of worship. Split into several dwellings after its life as a school, it’s the sizeable garden flat within the headmaster’s house which caught…

HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY A 1930s Mediterranean Revival detached ROOMS Sitting room, family room, kitchen-diner, breakfast area, four bedrooms, three bathrooms LOCATION Los Angeles, California HOW DID YOU BECOME INVOLVED IN THIS PROJECT? Both my fiancé and I are long-time friends of the clients, and we live nearby them in Los Angeles. When they bought this scenic hillside property in the summer of 2020, they kindly called me in to oversee their extensive remodel and decorating project WHAT WAS YOUR BRIEF? The house was originally built as a Hollywood take on Old Europe, and our shared goal was to restore it to its former glory. In previous years it had undergone a number of renovations that were out of keeping with its original Mediterranean Revival style, so we were tasked…

HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY Detached Tudor Revival house ROOMS Sitting room, family room, kitchen-diner, study, cloakroom, five bedrooms, five bathrooms LOCATION Surrey HOW DID YOU COME TO BE INVOLVED IN THIS PROJECT? Our clients came to the UK from South Africa five years ago and after a long search they found this Tudor Revival property, which was fully gutted and stripped back while they lived nearby. They got in touch with me to help with aspects of the design from conception to the final accessories and styling. WHAT WAS THE BRIEF? They wanted to create a house with a contemporary feel while being homely and comfortable – it’s a look that sits perfectly with my own natural design style, which balances sophistication with a relaxed livability. HOW DID YOU ACHIEVE…

HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY Apartment in a converted Victorian villa ROOMS Sitting/dining space, kitchen, two bedrooms (one doubles as a home office), two bathrooms LOCATION Surrey When interior designer Elly MacDonald was moving back to the UK, after five years of living and working in Singapore, she was determined to find a place she could do up and call ‘home’. ‘I’d been living in a rental apartment abroad and I wanted to get on the property ladder and do my first extensive renovation,’ explains Elly. ‘When I first saw this property – a two-bedroom apartment in a converted Victorian villa – I loved its high ceilings and large sash windows. I could also see there was scope to reinstate even more period features and wanted to create a modern take…

no. 8 HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY Arts and crafts house, built in 1912 ROOMS Sitting room, dining room, kitchen-diner/living area, snug, playroom, study, gym, wine cellar, eight bedrooms, four bathrooms, two dressing rooms LOCATION Surrey Looking for a larger home to accommodate their growing family, Sophie Stratton and her husband Thomas, who works in finance, had no intention of leaving London. ‘Then one day, after searching for ages, we went to visit a friend in Surrey and, on the way home, looked at houses in the area online,’ recalls Sophie. ‘We chanced upon this beautiful, majestic house, filled with lots of original period features and surrounded by nearly an acre of lovely gardens. We fell in love with it on sight and put in an offer – it was all…

BATHROOM FOCUS no. 17 PROJECT DETAILS OWNERS Andrew and Pauline Leat PROPERTY An 18th-century Grade II-listed thatched longhouse WORK Creating an en suite to the main bedroom LOCATION Devon The home of Andrew and Pauline Leat had undergone a five-year renovation prior to the couple buying it, but the four bathrooms, including this main en suite, were unfinished, allowing Pauline to design and project manage each one herself. 1 MAXIMISING THE FEATURES Pauline’s vision for the en suite was to enhance the original architectural features, while ensuring the finish was contemporary and practical. ‘The room has a high ceiling, which slopes down to two low windows on either side, so I had to position the bath, shower and basin around these restrictions,’ says Pauline. ‘Beams criss-cross the space, and I…

no. 20 HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY A third-floor apartment located in a heritage brick and concrete building converted to residential in the early 1990s ROOMS Kitchen-diner/living area, two bedrooms, two bathrooms LOCATION Vancouver, Canada After spending 10 years in California, Scott Brown felt the need to move closer to his family. Originally from Vancouver, Scott decided to start the new chapter of his life on familiar territory and set his sights on one of the city’s largest loft spaces nestled in the Pilkington building in the historic Gastown neighborhood. ‘Coincidentally, I worked in a different Pilkington building 20 years ago in Calgary, Alberta, and that is how I fell in love with loft/warehouse spaces to begin with,’ Scott remembers. The choice for the right interior designer also came serendipitously. The…