Innehållsförteckning för February 2016 från 25 Beautiful Homes

A decorating mantra that is always listed as a must-do if you’ve just moved is ‘Before you decorate, live in your new home to become accustomed to how you use it and see how the light travels across a space’. Now unless you’re one of the lucky ones who has bought the perfect house, it’s likely there’s going to be at least one room decorated in a way you can’t live with for too long. Looking back to when we moved in to ours, we did follow this advice, but not through choice. It was because there was a lot of remedial work to be done and a lack of funds. If not, I’d have been pulling up the carpet that made it feel like we were living in a…

OMBRE WALLPAPER I love the dip-dye effect of the walls in Jan and David Constantine’s bathroom (p157, November 2015). Can you tell me if this is a wallpaper? DEBORAH JEEVES, BY EMAIL This is, in fact, a paint effect that Jan did herself, but I’ve sourced a comparable wallpaper, which has a similar ombre impression. Saraille (shown right) comes in 11 colourways, including Cobalt, and costs £213 per 12m roll by Designers Guild (020 7351 5775, designersguild.com). Or you could try Demeter Stripe by Harlequin (0845 123 6815, harlequin.uk.com), a watercolour-like stripe that is available in seven colours, £54 per 10m roll. MID-CENTURY BEDSIDE TABLE I really like 1950s-inspired bedside tables. I’m keen to find one with a drawer and flared legs – can you help? JACQUELINE BRIGHT, WEST SUSSEX…

INSPIRING HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY Grade ll listed cottage, built around 1650 with a 1950s extension LOCATION Surrey ROOMS Hall, sitting room, family room, dining room, kitchen, cloakroom, four bedrooms, bathroom, shower room PURCHASED 2014 PREVIOUS PROPERTY ‘Before moving here, we lived in a five bedroom Victorian house nearby,’ says Anusha. Being a fashion retailer, Anusha Sellahewa has the kind of artistic eye that spots potential instantly. The 350-year- old cottage that she bought just over a year ago is a case in point. ‘I took one look at its pretty timbered façade, the gabled roof line and spattering of windows in different shapes and sizes and I knew, even before looking inside, this was the perfect house for me,’ she recalls. Both of her children, Tanuja and Aruna, had…

REPLANNED HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY One half of a Victorian house LOCATION Surrey ROOMS Hall, sitting room, kitchen-diner, utility room, playroom, four bedrooms, two bathrooms PURCHASED 2012 PREVIOUS PROPERTY ‘We lived on the same street in a house we renovated,’ says Lizzie. When Lizzie Patterson and Dan Jordan were invited for Christmas drinks at a neighbours’ house, next door but one, little did they imagine that one day they’d be living there. Not only that, but renovating it themselves, while raising three children under five. Dan worked in the music industry, but after doing up their last home, he found he had a talent for managing a building project, so he left his job and started a conversion company with a friend. The couple, parents to Marnie, 8, Anton, 5,…

INSPIRING HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY Early 19th-century grain mill, converted in 1994 LOCATION West Sussex ROOMS Hall, sitting room, dining room, kitchen, utility room, cloakroom, four bedrooms (one en suite), bathroom PURCHASED 2013 PREVIOUS PROPERTY ‘We lived in a typical New England house in Manchester-by-the-Sea in Massachusetts,’ says Caroline. Moving back across the Atlantic to a new home in England with three of their four daughters, Caroline Cheshire and her husband Nigel had to hit the ground running. The couple were returning after a 19-year stint in Massachusetts, where they had initially relocated to set up a US office for Nigel’s software company. Finding the right family home was a big challenge. The pair drew a line between their respective parents’ homes in Surrey and the Isle of Wight, shortlisted…

INSPIRING HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY Apartment in a Victorian block LOCATION West London ROOMS Hall, sitting/dining room, study/snug, kitchen, cloakroom, four bedrooms, two bathrooms PURCHASED 1992 PREVIOUS PROPERTY ‘I used to live in a terraced house in Holland Park,’ says Helde. Hilde Gresh had good reason to put her former home on the market, as climbing up four flights of stairs, carrying her two-year-old son, while pregnant with her second child had begun to take its toll. ‘I began to look for an apartment and the second-floor flat I found in Kensington was ideal,’ says Hilde, who fell for its generously proportioned Victorian rooms with their high ceilings and large bay windows. ‘Most importantly, there was a lift just big enough for me to squeeze into with the pram, Alexandre,…

INSPIRING HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY 1980s bungalow, extended in 2009 LOCATION Stirlingshire ROOMS Hall, sitting room, kitchen-diner, utility room, five bedrooms, three bathrooms PURCHASED 2003 PREVIOUS PROPERTY ‘Before this, I lived in a converted servants’ quarters nearby,’ says When Jane Lindsey and her husband Euan first saw their home in the lush Loch Lomond National Park, they were stunned by the beauty of the setting. It was May, and the bluebell wood at the bottom of the garden was in full bloom. ‘It was idyllic,’ says Jane. ‘We were so dazzled by the land, we hardly spent any time looking at the house.’ The property was a warren of small rooms but Jane and Euan knew they could adapt it to suit them and their girls Zoe, now 18, and…

REPLANNED HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY Converted former prison LOCATION Derbyshire ROOMS Sitting room, kitchen-diner/family room, utility room, studio, cloakroom, three bedrooms (one en suite), bathroom PURCHASED 2012 PREVIOUS PROPERTY ‘We moved here from a Georgian house, which stands in front of this building,’ says Sarah. Rather than smoothing over the rough edges of their Derbyshire home with plaster and paint, Sarah Heaton and Graeme Reed were all for exposing its history. ‘The building used to be a Napoleonic prison and our previous house next door was where the officers once lived,’ says Sarah. ‘A developer had bought the whole building, which was basically a long barn that had fallen into disrepair, and was turning it into three units,’ continues Sarah. Building work had stalled, partly because of the jail’s Grade…

NEW-BUILD HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY Timber-clad new-build LOCATION Devon ROOMS Hall, sitting room, kitchen-diner, family room, TV room, cloakroom, four bedrooms (one en suite), two bathrooms BUILT IN 2013 PREVIOUS PROPERTY ‘We lived in a semi-detached 1920s house in Hove,’ says Mark. Architect Liam Denny experienced a sense of déjà vu when he and partner Mark first stepped into the garden of a rundown 1960s bungalow. ‘As a student, I designed a hotel bedroom that opened onto an amazing view,’ says Liam. ‘And, perched above a valley of fir trees, this place reminded me of my early idea.’ With a home in Hove, Liam and Mark, also an architect, hadn’t intended on buying a house in Devon – let alone renovating one. But a friend’s project they were working on…

Design ideas LARGE-AREA RUGS A good purpose for a rug is to create an area that brings all your furniture together, which means you should aim for a generous size so that it’s touching or goes under furniture. In the Mousleys’ sitting room, a large rug also adds an extra element of luxury, and its beautiful teal shade has been picked out as an accent colour for the room scheme. Shown above, a soft, neutral-tone area rug defines the chic and relaxed dining zone within an open-plan living space. A good rule of thumb is to take the size of the surface of your dining table and add six feet to it. So if it measures 3 x 6ft, then opt for a 9 x 12ft rug. Monaco rug in…

Planning permission is sometimes tricky to navigate. But taking time to research what kind of consents you’re likely to need, and submitting a thoughtful, considered application, is more likely to result in a smooth-running process. Plan right If you are planning extensive building work, consider what kind of permissions you’ll need to obtain. There are several categories that proposed builds and additions can fall under. Not all works need consent; some extensions and alterations can be obtained under ‘permitted development’, essentially a tick-box approach to planning, where permission is granted if your proposals meet certain requirements. This low-risk approach, can cover lots of potential work such as extensions less than 3m deep. Larger extensions are often permitted under the ‘neighbour consultation scheme’, meaning that works can be approved subject to…

DISTINCTIVE HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY Victorian maisonette LOCATION North London ROOMS Sitting room, kitchen-diner, dining area, three bedrooms (one en suite), bathroom PURCHASED 2014 PREVIOUS PROPERTY ‘We moved here from an upper maisonette just a few roads away,’ says Susie. As interior designers, the key question for Susie and Evros Agathou when they approach a scheme is: ‘How does this room make me feel?’ So when it came to reworking their own north London home for themselves and their children Gaia, seven, and Maxi, five, the question took on extra resonance. Renovating this property presented some tricky practical design decisions, but also focused their attention on what a home means to them. Now the project is finished, the answer is simple. ‘This place makes us feel uplifted and happy every…

REPLANNED HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY Detached stone cottage, built in 1889 LOCATION West Cork, Ireland ROOMS Sitting room/ kitchen-diner, snug, utility room, cloakroom, three bedrooms (one en suite), bathroom PURCHASED 2005 PREVIOUS PROPERTY ‘I rented an open-plan house in Cape Town before moving to Ireland,’ says Eileen. Appearances can be deceptive. At first sight, Eileen Christie’s West Cork home seems like an ordinary Victorian stone house, but in fact, this ingeniously designed property has been discreetly enlarged at both the rear and side, nearly doubling its footprint. Looking at its clean and crisp angles now, it’s hard to imagine that the house left a lot to be desired when Eileen bought it more than 10 years ago. ‘Back then it was dark, dated and had no insulation, so it was…

INSPIRING HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY 19th-century farmhouse with stables LOCATION West Sussex ROOMS Hall, sitting room, family room, dining room, kitchen-diner, den, office, utility room, cloakroom, six bedrooms (one en suite), two bathrooms PURCHASED 2006 PREVIOUS PROPERTY ‘We lived in a detached house in southwest London,’ says Sarah. For 15 years Sarah Pike and her husband Matthew harboured a dream to move out of London to the countryside. ‘I was brought up on a smallholding and Matthew was raised in the country,’ explains Sarah, ‘so when we had children, we wanted to give them a similar lifestyle to the one we had enjoyed.’ When the couple lived in the capital they had frequently visited friends in Sussex who told them about a school nearby that would be suitable for their…

A Abigail Aborg 07793 0 33922, abigailborg.com Abigail Ahern abigailahern.com Acanthus Vintage 01386 49602, acanthusvintage.co.uk Aesop 020 3637 4577, aesop.com Aflair 020 8789 7377, aflair.co.uk. Aimée Wilder aimeewilder.com Alexander & Pearl 020 8508 0411, alexanderandpearl.co.uk Amara 0800 587 7645, amara.com Amazon amazon.co.uk Amode 020 3397 7323, amode.co.uk Andrew Macara macara.com Annie Sloan 01865 713089, anniesloan.com Antiques Atlas 0161 613 5714, antiques-atlas.com Antique Desks antiquedesks.org.uk Anton & K 07875 911776, antonandk.co.uk Ao.com 0844 324 9222 Are You Sitting Comfortably 01483 722133 Arnotts arnotts.ie Art.co.uk 020 8435 6556 Atlantic Shopping 0121 230 1644, atlanticshopping.co.uk Att Pynta 020 8692 2412, attpynta.com B B&Q 0333 014 3098, diy.com Barnaby Gates 01672 560240, barnabygates.com Bathstore 0800 023 2323, bathstore.com Batterham Matthews Architects 01225 851122, batterhammatthewsarchitects.co.uk Bedeck 0333…

1 SHADE OF SOPHISTICATION Moonstone bowl pendant light, £1,800, Besselink & Jones 2 PRECIOUS METALS Aerin agate coasters trimmed with 18-carat gold, £186 for four, LuxDeco 3 MARBLE CAKE Serving stand, £55, Oliver Bonas 4 WRITTEN IN STONE Anna New York Fim bookends in natural agate, £300, Amara 5 TIMELESS BEAUTY Marble wall clock, £40, Laura Ashley 6 SMOKY SHADES Marble-effect cushion, £12, Very 7 TABLETOP BRASS House Doctor Este marble and brass table lamp, £150, Eclect Design 8 FIRST-CLASS FITTINGS Double Thames vanity unit in brass and Arabesco marble, from £6,300, Drummonds 9 MIXED MATERIALS Reddick side table in iron and white marble, £157, Wayfair…

INSPIRING HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY Victorian terraced house LOCATION West London ROOMS Hall, sitting room, kitchen-diner, family room, cloakroom, five bedrooms (one en suite), two bathrooms PURCHASED 2007 PREVIOUS PROPERTY ‘Before we moved here, we lived in a three-bedroom maisonette in this area,’ says Louisa. Louisa Mousley’s passion for colour and pattern is evident the moment you enter the front door. Here, the entrance hall boasts a striking navy-and-white wallpaper juxtaposed with a stair runner featuring a bright orange trim. ‘I can’t imagine a home without colour,’ she says. When Louisa and her husband Simon moved to the terraced Victorian house in west London eight years ago, the interior looked very different. All the fireplaces and much of the cornicing had been torn out, and the original sash windows had…

DISTINCTIVE HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY Mid-terrace three-storey house, built around 1960 LOCATION South London ROOMS Sitting room, kitchen-diner, cloakroom, office, two bedrooms, bathroom PURCHASED 2012 PREVIOUS PROPERTY ‘We previously owned a two-bed flat around the corner,’ says Lol. When Lol Johnson and Dan Capstick took a gamble and sold their south London flat, they had no idea it would take them almost three years to find a place to put down new roots. Already with a young toddler, Lola, the couple’s priorities changed when Lol was pregnant with their second child, Bettie. Knowing they would need more room and dreaming of outdoor space, Lol and Dan decided to sell. Because they loved the area they had been living in, particularly its leafy streets and keenly priced property, Lol and Dan…

INSPIRING HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY Terraced cottage, built in 1804 LOCATION St Ives, Cornwall ROOMS Hall, sitting room/ kitchen-diner, two bedrooms, bathroom PURCHASED 2013 PREVIOUS PROPERTY ‘My main home is a farmhouse next to my art gallery near Penzance,’ say Gilly. Gilly Wyatt-Smith wasn’t short of advice when she decided to buy a family holiday home. Her grown-up children – Gareth, who lives in Leicester, and Kristy, who’s married with two young children and lives in Wales – both chose St Ives, Cornwall for its seaside appeal and because it’s easily accessible by train or bus. Although Gilly, who owns the Yew Tree Gallery near St Just, was more than happy to house-hunt in a town renowned for its artists and craftsmen, her criteria was more precise. ‘I wanted a…

UNIQUE HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY Detached new-build LOCATION Bristol ROOMS Hall, sitting room, kitchen-diner, utility room, four bedrooms (one en suite), bathroom PURCHASED 2010 PREVIOUS PROPERTY ‘We used to live in a 1930s house in Gloucestershire,’ says Tanya. When living in rural Gloucestershire began to lose its appeal, Tanya Martin, an interior designer and potter, and architect husband Clifford decided to seek a more urban lifestyle. ‘We grew tired of having to drive miles to a supermarket, cinema or art gallery, and just wanted to walk,’ explains Tanya. The pair were immediately intrigued when they spotted their current house. ‘It was so different from anything else on the market,’ says Tanya, ‘and I especially liked the sitting room’s huge window and very high ceiling, plus the top-floor atrium, which sheds…

DISTINCTIVE HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY Victorian flat LOCATION Southeast London ROOMS Hall, sitting room/ dining area, kitchen, two bedrooms, bathroom RENTED SINCE 2014 PREVIOUS PROPERTY ‘Before here, we rented a flat in Bethnal Green,’ says Kai. When Swedish-born Kai Price and his partner Joe moved into their London flat, the couple were initially underwhelmed. ‘Before us, students were living here, so it was quite rundown,’ explains Kai. ‘The last place we wanted had fallen through, so I’d agreed to this one before Joe had even seen it. Once it had been cleaned and filled with our things, we both saw how lovely it was.’ Having moved to a larger property so that Kai could run his interiors company from home, the main problem was filling the space. ‘The place looked…

The Lindseys transformed a warren of small rooms into family-friendly, open-plan living spaces by cleverly rearranging their home’s floor plan. Whether you are embarking on a new-build project, or reconfiguring a house, planning an effective layout at the early stages will ensure you maximise space and create a home that is suited to your needs. These pointers will help you design your ideal interior. Perfectly planned Your layout will predict how you use your home. Firstly, decide the kind of look you want to achieve and how you wish to live. Whether you are keen on open-plan living, desire separate rooms for cooking, dining, relaxing and socialising or would like a combination of both, you must be realistic about what is possible within the confines of your overall floor plan…

INSPIRING HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY Victorian semi-detached LOCATION Southwest London ROOMS Sitting room, kitchen-diner/office area, piano room, four bedrooms (one en suite), bathroom PURCHASED 2011 PREVIOUS PROPERTY ‘We used to live in a smaller house nearby ,’ says Béatrice. Béatrice and Arnaud de Montille are used to moving house, having lived in four different properties over the past eight years. ‘When we relocated from France, we rented various places, then when we started our family, we bought a little house in southwest London,’ says Béatrice. ‘Eventually, we needed more space, so we began to look in the same area and found this four-bedroom semi. By then we had three children, Martin, now 11, Chloe, 9, and Romane, 5, plus one on the way, so we hoped the move would be…

DISTINCTIVE HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY Semidetached Georgian cottage LOCATION East Sussex ROOMS Hall, sitting room, drawing room, kitchen-diner, cloakroom, four bedrooms (one en suite), bathroom, shop space PURCHASED 2015 PREVIOUS PROPERTY ‘We moved here from a Victorian townhouse in nearby Tunbridge Wells,’ says Minnie. Minnie and Peter Craske weren’t thinking of downsizing to a house in the country, but sometimes fate has a habit of intervening. Initially, the family was all set to rent out their large Victorian home in Tunbridge Wells, while they took on a shop nearby that was perfect for Minnie’s antiques business and came with a three-bedroom flat above. ‘Then the woman who was lined up to rent our house decided she would prefer to buy it,’ says Minnie. At that point Peter came across a…

REPLANNED HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY Double-fronted end-of-terrace house, built in 1926 LOCATION Dublin ROOMS Hall, sitting room, snug, kitchen-diner, office, utility room, cloakroom, two bedrooms, bathroom PURCHASED 2000 PREVIOUS PROPERTY ‘We had a house in the suburbs before, but as traffic increased we decided it would be best to move into the city centre,’ explains Will. Will Seaman and his partner John Kiernan bought their city-centre Dublin house in 2000, when their commute from the suburbs became less viable. ‘We had to choose between the deep country or the heart of the city,’ says Will. ‘I preferred the city, and John knew this area well as he had gone to school locally.’ The couple instantly fell in love with this place as ‘it looks like a house a child would…

INSPIRING HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY Bungalow with basement, built in 1935 LOCATION Near Copenhagen ROOMS Hall, sitting room/ kitchen, dining room, bedroom, bathroom PURCHASED 2008 PREVIOUS PROPERTY ‘Before I found this place, I used to live in an apartment close to Copenhagen,’ says Caroline. Caroline Barslund’s home boasts whitewashed walls, iconic Mid-Century furniture and cosy sheepskin throws, but it hasn’t always felt so welcoming. ‘There was peeling wallpaper in the sitting room, other walls were painted in garish, mismatched colours, and the bathroom was top-to-toe blue, including the sanitaryware,’ she says. But with her extended family happy to lend a helping hand, Caroline was undeterred by the scale of the work. Walls were torn down to create a more free-flowing interior, carpet was ripped out and kitchen and bathroom furniture…

UNIQUE HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY Timber-framed house, built in the 1460s with later additions LOCATION Norfolk ROOMS Hall, sitting room, dining room, kitchen, family room, two studies, cloakroom/utility room, sunroom, four bedrooms (one en suite), bathroom PURCHASED 2011 PREVIOUS PROPERTY ‘Before moving here, we lived in a Victorian mid-terrace in south London,’ says Valerie. The search for a better quality of life, more space, good schools, and a sense of community led Valerie and Eric Weisenreder to a historic market town in Norfolk. ‘We’d lived in London and New York, where Eric grew up, but once our daughter Nonny, 11, had been born, we felt we wanted to move somewhere rural,’ says Valerie. When the couple had decided on an area, they rented a home there so that they could…

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INSPIRING HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY Extended stone cottage LOCATION Connemara, County Galway ROOMS Hall, sitting room, kitchen, office, music room, utility room, bathroom, four bedrooms (one en suite), bathroom, artist’s studio with loft bedroom PURCHASED 2006 PREVIOUS PROPERTY ‘We also have a stone cottage near Dublin,’ explains Patrick. Artist Patrick Walshe and his wife Ros are the fortunate custodians of an extended stone cottage overlooking the Atlantic in County Galway. Owned by their American friend, Jim Shore, also an artist, the house has been restored since it was purchased a decade ago, creating a calm and restful retreat. Originally bought and extended in the late 1980s by an American sound engineer, the cottage was reworked with a strong emphasis on light. But by 2006, when Jim bought the house, the…

Modern open-plan living spaces have encouraged us to abandon the idea of the traditional dining room. Today’s dining areas not only cater for family dinners, but they are multifunctional spaces where we catch up on emails, the kids do their homework, and maybe even weekend craft projects occur. But how do we create an interior that is appropriate for all these tasks? This sleek, contemporary scheme is clean, bright and simple, making it easy to adapt to suit any occasion. The bold yellow paintwork draws the eye and adds character, while everything else is kept streamlined and uncomplicated, allowing the sharp angles to make a statement. It’s finished off with a laminate floor and homely accessories to introduce a little bit of warmth for those lazy Sunday breakfasts. FurnitureEtc is…

1 SCULPTURAL SILHOUETTE Savio table lamp, £229, Aflair 2 FASHION PLATES Elska dinnerware, from £6, Gray & Willow at House of Fraser 3 WIRE WORKS Factorylux Wire Balloon Cage pendant, £55, LightBulbs Direct 4 ANIMAL HOUSE Handpainted zebra ceramic door knobs, £40 per pair, Osprey London 5 MONO LUXE Black wooden mirror, £62, MiaFleur 6 BLOCK CAPITALS Alphabet cushion, £10, Next 7 TRIBAL TOWEL Wrong for Hay He bath sheet, £29, Unique & Unity 8 GRAPHIC DESIGN Hexagon Hive side table, £295, The French Bedroom Company 9 MONO MESSAGE Personalised moon phase print, £71, The Drifting Bear Co 1 0 STATEMENT SEAT Duchess armchair, from £1,235, here in Tori Murphy Boulder fabric, £100m, Content by Terence Conran…

NEW-BUILD HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY Wing of a Victorian villa, built in the 1980s LOCATION Torquay, Devon ROOMS Hall, sitting room, kitchen-diner, cloakroom, two bedrooms (both en suite), garden studio annexe PURCHASED 2011 PREVIOUS PROPERTY ‘We lived in a half timbered, detached house in Normandy, France before moving back to the UK,’ explains Jane. Having lived in Normandy, France, for five years, running a B&B, Jane Villaweaver, a textile artist, and her husband Alan, a retired design and technology teacher, decided to relocate back to the UK to be closer to their daughter. ‘We’d holidayed in Torquay when our children were small,’ explains Jane. ‘The area is known as the English Riviera thanks to its favourable climate, so we were instantly drawn to it.’ Jane and Alan began hunting for…

NEW-BUILD HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY Detached new-build house LOCATION Somerset ROOMS Sitting room, dining area, kitchen-diner, snug, utility room, cloakroom, two en-suite bedrooms BUILT 2013 PREVIOUS PROPERTY ‘This house was built in part of the garden of our previous property, an 18th-century pub,’ says Sheena. Simon and Sheena Loveday’s plan to sell their four-bedroom house in Somerset and retain part of the garden to build on, meant they could downsize and stay in the area they knew and loved. To choose the position of the house, they borrowed a tower scaffold and heaved it around until they found the perfect spot, which wasn’t overlooked and offered wonderful views. ‘We could see west across fields to Glastonbury Tor and east across gardens toward the spire of the local church,’ says Sheena.…

DISTINCTIVE HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY Edwardian semi-detached LOCATION Cheltenham ROOMS Sitting room, kitchen-diner, conservatory, cloakroom, five bedrooms, bathroom, studio PURCHASED 1995 PREVIOUS PROPERTY ‘We lived in a semi-detached house nearby,’ says Stephen. From the outside, Stephen and Sue Belinfante’s red brick Edwardian home looks like many of the other houses in this quiet cul-de-sac. But once inside, prepare for a surprise. Colourful walls set the tone in each room, while a mix of vintage and modern furniture creates a warm and inviting feel. Jostling for space are Stephen’s vibrant paintings and favourite works by other artists. ‘We’d wanted to live in this street ever since moving to the area,’ says Stephen. ‘We love these elegant period homes which are within walking distance of the town centre.’ Having seen their dream…

NEW-BUILD HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY New-build oak frame house LOCATION Surrey ROOMS Sitting room, family room, snug, dining room, kitchen, utility room, cloakroom, four bedrooms (three en suite), dressing room, bathroom PURCHASED PLOT 2002 PREVIOUS PROPERTY ‘Our last house was a three-bedroom Victorian semi which was in the same area,’ says Jenny. When a 1970s bungalow complete with two-acre plot came up for sale, Mike and Jenny Hobbs jumped at the chance to buy it. ‘We were living 100 yards away and loved the area, but really wanted somewhere with more space, and the potential to redevelop,’ says Jenny. ‘The plot was a good size, quiet with a rural outlook, and it had outbuildings, which meant that Mike could work from home.’ And if that wasn’t enough, the existing bungalow…