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 Despite initially dismissing a tired Fifties house, Sarah and Ken Loveday took another look and saw it could become the spacious family home they needed.  When Sarah Loveday and her husband Ken first saw a ‘soulless’ Fifties home in Leamington Spa, they dismissed it out of hand. ‘There wasn’t much I liked about the house – apart from the fact that it offered us the space that we needed,’ says Sarah, a brand designer and interiors stylist. ‘We told the estate agent we weren’t interested and the house soon sold. But then it came back on to the market.’ The estate agent persuaded Sarah to look again. ‘With some reluctance, we realised it was just what we needed,’ she says. ‘It was dull, plain and empty – but offered us plenty of space. Annie, our middle child, was just three weeks old at the time and we were desperate for more room.’ But the family faced an unexpected challenge when they moved in that almost put a stop to renovation plans. ‘The house was infested with rats,’ says Sarah. ‘It was horrendous. For the first nine months, we weren’t sure if we’d stay because we just couldn’t get rid of them. They were in the cavity space above the kitchen, the sitting room and the studio – knowing they were there was horrible. It wasn’t until they were gone that we felt we could start making the house ours.’ The first task was to widen the hallway, which Sarah describes as narrow and out of proportion to the rest of the house. ‘We had plenty of space in the sitting room, so we pushed that wall back. We also put in a new front door and added a chimney breast to the sitting room, which made a real difference as it gave the room a much-needed focal point.’ Working to a budget, the couple decided to postpone doing a full kitchen renovation, instead fitting new Shakerstyle cupboard fronts for a fresh look. ‘We didn’t start the loft until three years – and another baby – later,’ says Sarah. ‘The space was boarded and separated into two rooms joined by a narrow corridor, and there were windows, but nothing else. We did originally plan on putting two bedrooms upstairs but instead we moved a few walls around and turned one of the rooms into a large en suite.’ With the loft conversion finished, the children – Bella, now nine, Annie, seven, and Todd, five, had the space they needed – and Sarah and Ken had their own attic sanctuary to escape to. Downstairs, the sitting room is full of character and colour, with an eclectic, bohemian mix of vintage prints and artwork, cushions, rugs, antiques and treasures that fill the space with personality. ‘I adore textiles and antiques,’ says Sarah. ‘I like nothing more than scouring auction houses for pieces and picking up textiles on our travels to fill the house with – it gives it so much soul.’ As the house dates from the Fifties, Sarah has incorporated this era into her aesthetic by sourcing vintage furniture online and reupholstering mid-century chairs in bright fabrics. ‘Colour is such a joyful thing to have in your home,’ she says. ‘But I never want my interiors to feel too garish or contrived so I ground them with natural textures like jute and wood. ‘It’s been seven years since we moved in and it has taken time to get the house to a place where it feels like our home,’ Sarah continues. ‘It’s been a slow process and moving to a more modern house was definitely a compromise, but now we love the space we’ve created here.

 Pared-back design and a pretty palette of neutrals and pastels are the hallmarks of Rosemary and Justin Bickers’ serene home.  Striking a balance between minimalism and warmth is a tricky task for any homeowner, but add four small children into the mix and you’d be forgiven for giving up on style altogether and heading straight down the ‘practical’ route. This hasn’t been the case for Rosemary and Justin Bickers, who – over the past six years – have turned an unloved doer-upper into a beautiful haven for their family, which includes Alfie, seven, Tom, six, Daisy, four, and Dorothy, six months. ‘We had been searching for the right property for over a year,’ says Rosemary. ‘My late father had been hoping we’d stay close to my family home and he was delighted when we found a house just 10 doors down from it.’ Although the property was in need of a complete overhaul, Rosemary wasn’t fazed. She had grown up on the road and over the years had been in many of the neighbours’ houses, so had seen how they had been reworked. It also helped that Justin is an electrical contractor specialising in lighting solutions. The first room to be tackled was the kitchen. ‘It was really dated,’ says Rosemary. ‘It was going to be a big job, but we had to be practical and do it on a budget and in stages as there was so much more to be done in the house.’ New electrics and plumbing, plus replastering and repainting throughout were also on the to-do list. After careful planning and budgeting, it was decided that phase one would be to extend out at the back and into the side return to get a bigger kitchen and also a cloakroom. The old cabinetry was replaced with pale-grey, Shaker-style units that have a clean, crisp look, but also give the room character. Phase two of the downstairs renovation was knocking through to the garage to create a dining space and a family room, both of which are linked to the kitchen through large openings. The dining room also has floor-toceiling glazed doors that lead out to the garden. One area downstairs that hasn’t received Rosemary and Justin’s magic touch yet is the sitting room. ‘We decided to keep it as a traditional “best room”,’ says Rosemary. ‘We will get around to doing it up in the future, but it hasn’t been a priority so far.’ The children’s rooms and Rosemary and Justin’s own bedroom were phase three and all have been decorated in off-whites with pretty pastel accents for a serene feel. Rosemary also likes to buy original artwork to give each room personality. ‘Styling my home feeds my creativity,’ she says. ‘I also take a lot of inspiration from places we’ve visited or hotels we’ve stayed in. The Swan Hotel, nearby in Southwold, is one I love. And my mum is great with colour and has a good eye, so I’ll often ask for her advice. She’s also a lover of collecting ornaments – just like me!’ And are Rosemary and Justin happy with all they have achieved? ‘Definitely,’ says Rosemary. ‘The family room is my little hygge nest. It’s my favourite area of the house to sit while the children play and I’m feeding the baby. I also love our dining room. It’s where the family comes together to feast and to chat. Luckily, we all love our food. Simplicity and balance is what we wanted to achieve, and I think it’s what makes this home such a happy one.’

 Allison Lindeman and her husband Oeyvind were determined to bring their cosy, minimalist take on Nordic design to their renovation plans.  Incorporating Scandinavian design into their Victorian semi in southwest London was a priority for American interior designer Allison Lindeman of Saltbox Interiors and her Norwegian husband Oeyvind. They wanted to create a huge, open-plan family living area that still felt ‘hyggelig’ – cosy and welcoming. ‘When we looked at houses, we struggled to find one that fitted the open-plan concept, as properties within our budget tended to have lots of rooms – a front room, dining room and separate kitchen. So we decided to go for a cheaper house that we could change to suit our lifestyle,’ says Allison. To build their dream living space, the couple knocked four rooms – the dining room, breakfast room, kitchen and conservatory – into one, and created a main living space with different zones. ‘There’s a TV and play area, a sitting area with a fireplace, a dining area and a kitchen,’ says Allison. The result is a light, minimalist and relaxed family space where children Piper, eight, Finn, six, and Kaia, four, can eat and play and where everyone gathers to spend time together. Allison’s love of Scandinavian design is evident throughout the house. Downstairs, walls are white, and there are plenty of industrial touches in keeping with the Scandi design aesthetic – metal stools, brick tiling, raw wood shelving and a handleless kitchen. Even the floor tiles in the downstairs hallway and bathroom have an industrial edge. ‘They’re ceramic, but meant to look like cement,’ says Allison. The clean lines of the living space are softened by cushions and rugs. ‘The risk with this type of design is that it can come across as cold if not done properly,’ says Allison. ‘But good Scandinavian design is layered and varied, using texture and materials to create depth and interest.’ Throughout the house, the couple’s much-loved art collection provides splashes of colour against the monochrome backdrop. Yellow rugs, cushions, throws and chairs throughout the house pull the design scheme together. Upstairs, Allison painted her en-suite bathroom a stunning, deep blue. ‘I am particularly proud of the en suite,’ she says. ‘We converted a bedroom to a bathroom when we redid the house and the room was so large that I experimented more with colour and played off the blue in our bedroom.’ Keeping the interior design practical was a major priority for Allison. ‘A house with small children needs to work for everyone without any stress that things will get ruined,’ she says. ‘Our Ikea dining table also serves as a craft area, painting workshop and glitter palace. The kids can make a mess and draw on the table without worry as it usually wipes clean, but if it doesn’t, I don’t stress. We used wipeable paint throughout the house and had lots of storage built in so we can tidy away all the toys and easily create a grown-up space for relaxing and entertaining in the evening. It’s the perfect family home.’ 

 An eye for stylish vintage finds helped Esther Patterson turn her former design studio into a colourful and intriguing home.  Originally bought as a design studio for Esther Patterson’s bespoke lighting company Curiousa & Curiousa, this former malthouse in a Derbyshire village has, in a few years, gone from practical workplace to stylish home. Built in the 1800s, the property has been through various guises, but the unique style of the interior struck a chord with the couple. ‘My husband Paul and I were living across the road, but our studio space in this building gave us lots of options,’ says Esther. ‘Firstly, we had the idea of creating a small independent cinema, The Northern Lights Cinema. Then we realised that as our company grew, we would need another base for our lighting company, so the seed was sown to create a home for us and our son Gabriel, here above the cinema,’ says Esther. The couple were confident about making changes to the upstairs apartment. Despite being in a conservation area, the property wasn’t listed so the interior design was open to options. ‘The brick walls and beams were a beautiful feature to showcase,’ says Esther. ‘And we wanted to be able to stand at one end of the building and see all the way through, so decided on glazed walls made from Crittal windows to divide the open-plan space. The glass was sound-proofed and we put up curtains for privacy.’ Keeping the original floor was a priority but, with the cinema below, they needed to consider sound insulation once more. ‘We realised we needed to install new plumbing and electrics, so we raised the floor to allow for all of this,’ explains Esther. ‘And it was beneficial, as the varying levels divide the different areas.’ A pantry was fitted in behind the kitchen to house appliances and more storage. ‘I wanted somewhere I could just stash all the household stuff away,’ says Esther. ‘It is a godsend.’ With a good eye for reclaimed materials and vintage buys, Esther and Paul gave their home a bespoke look, which evolved naturally, enhanced with a selection of their own lighting. ‘I’m not one for finding solutions at the beginning of a project and have it all spot on,’ says Esther. ‘It was like creating a foundation for a home to develop on its own. It has grown as we’ve grown, which is why it feels so comfortable, reflecting exactly what we’re all about.’

 Marie Engberg’s home reflects her belief that sustainable design and timeless interiors go hand in hand.  Danish-born Marie Engberg is not a woman to do things by halves. Her belief in caring for the planet, both socially and via the designworld, has resulted in a diverse career that has seen her work for several interiors brands and, leading up to 2012, on Barack Obama’s re-election campaign. When Marie and her husband Niels Grove Jensen decided to return home from America to start a family,which now includesWilfred, five, and Nora, three, they found a characterful townhouse in a vibrant district of Copenhagen. ‘Humleby is a small village where workers from the Carlsberg brewery once lived,’says Marie. ‘Built in 1886 by architect Frederik Bøttger, the house is a fantastic piece of history in itself – everything is crooked and the rooms have soul.’ The property perfectly harmonises with Marie’s latest venture, sustainable design store Yume, which she opened with Anja Holm in 2017. ‘Personal and eclectic with a Scandinavian edge’ is how Marie describes their style, but her new home needed a gentle renovation before she could make her mark on it. Spread over four levels, the interior was outdated and lacked a sense of flow. ‘We wanted every floor to function well on its own, while contributing to the overall feel of the house,’ says Marie. So the numerous hallways and stairs were reworked,the top floorwastweaked to accommodate a master suite and dressing room, and the first floor – where the children’s bedrooms are –wassimplified. ‘Our priority was to enhance the period details by introducing colour and texture,’ explains Marie. Some of their standout sustainable pieces include the vibrant royal blue and navy Masaya Lounge Chair in the sitting room. ‘It packs a punch and I love thatthe concept behind it is as much aboutreforestation asitis aboutfurniture making. Even our plates are made from recycled yogurt pots, which prove that something considered to be rubbish can be turned into practical, beautiful items.’ Once Marie leaves her busy store, her favourite pastime is relaxing at home on the porch, petting the neighbour’s dog, or enjoying drinksin the gardenwith friends. ‘The neighbourhood is thriving,’ she says, ‘and it gives us endlessinspiration when it comes to preserving the past and creating an eco-friendly future.

 Nature-Inspired Design Blurs the Lines Between Outside and In.  When you live in the Carolinas’ moderate, four-season climate, it’s only natural to cultivate a love for nature, enjoying the reprieve from stressful everyday life by heading outdoors to entertain, play, or simply relax with a little gardening. When Liles Dunnigan and Zandy Gammons, co-owners of The Warehouse, were approached by one of their long-term clients to create a design that embodied all the best of the outdoors and bring it in, they jumped at the chance to explore the possibilities. “As empty nesters, they were looking to establish a new home for the two of them, where they could easily entertain family and friends. She’s an avid gardener, so creating a comprehensive design that celebrated the couple’s shared love of nature was paramount. The new construction home was a veritable blank canvas, and we explored this vision, creating a design plan that would fulfill their desires in a functional and elegant way.” Dunnigan explains.   Situated in Raleigh’s exclusive Bellewood Forest community in the heart of the Beltline, which was developed by Williams Realty and Building, the home’s spacious lot, complete with manicured lawn and landscaping, as well as a stand of stately pines, proved to be just the starting point. The home’s traditional white painted brick and black shutters are warmed with copper accents and gutters, iron railings, and distinctive arches and porch columns. The outdoor back patio features gray tiled floors, an outdoor fireplace, and plenty of comfortable resin wicker seating where guests can relax and enjoy the yard. Unobscured sight lines from the front door to the rear patio create continuity, blurring the lines between outside and in.“The exterior of the home sets the aesthetic forthe design and perfectly embodies the homeowners’ personality—classic with a fresh twist.” Gammons says. That is the basis for the aesthetic carried indoors, which is apparent from a few steps into the foyer. As an entrance and also a connecting point between several areas in the home, the design is polished and simplistic with no area rug to impose on the understated drama of the unique herringbone-patterned hardwoods. The limited furniture in the space includes a side table from the homeowner’s European travels as well as a lowprofile bench and accent pillows in garden-fresh hues. The organically inspired palette spans the entire home and features neutral wall colors punctuated with navy, aqua, green, yellow, and coral. Striking artwork, much of which was sourced locally through ArtSource and a few other select vendors, mimic not only the colors but also the inherent spontaneity of nature itself, adding interest as well as conversation points for visitors. The textiles used throughout the design offer layers of texture and color in flora-and-fauna prints and bold geometric patterns.The keeping room’s floral table skirt, an anchor point in the comprehensive design, is reminiscent of a blooming flower garden while its floor-to-ceiling curtain panels, along with those in the kitchen and breakfast area and dining room, make a statement in green with varying details, from bold garden prints to more subtle botanicals. Floral accent pillows with pops of bright yellow and a cornsilk blue-and-white duvet in the master bedroom infuse the otherwise neutral space with a splash of color. Geometric designs on the master bedroom curtains and the adjacent sitting room’s embroidered roman shades add a harder edge to the softer nature-inspired prints. The bold blue and green geometric print of the family room’s valances kicks up the drama for more traditional furniture. And though the design celebrates the fresh, crisp vigor of nature, it’s the little details that truly accentuate the home’s elegance. The rich, dark stain on the arched doors, the crystal accents on the dining room chandelier, the Lucite handles in the butler’s pantry, the crystal knobs in the powder room, and the mirrored sconces in the master bath all add subtle hints of glamour throughout the home. The gold finishes of mirrors, frames, accessories, and hardware impart a luxurious warmth in every room and is reflected in the light fixtures’ high-impact contemporary styles.    For Dunnigan and Gammons, one of the greatest ways to make an impact is by keeping visitors on their toes. “Leave a lasting impression by using small spaces to do the unexpected. Put up a bold wallpaper or slick on a bright hue. Maybe employ an unusual piece of furniture. Implementing assertive statement pieces in sly ways will create drama and add an element of fun to the design.” Dunnigan advises. One needs to look no further than the home’s powder room for such pop where the traditional dark wood and Carrara marble vanity sits against a bold green and white leafy vine Thibaut wallpaper, which draws the eye vertically to the green grasscloth-covered ceiling. The grasscloth also extends into the adjacent hallway. Likewise, a deep navy wall finish, accented with a gray, symmetrical feather pattern, energizes the butler pantry’s small space and subtle gray palette. “At the end of the day, the goal was clear: create a simple yet elegant design that catered to the clients’ love of the great outdoors,” Gammons says. “Through colors, textures, and prints inspired by nature’s paintbrush, we were able to forge that connection, bringing the outside in.”

 Design duo Kelley Lentini and Berkeley Minkhorst prove first impressions speak volumes.  When House of Nomad designers and partners Kelley Lentini and Berkeley Minkhorst took on the responsibility of designing the first floor of a new Myers Park house that was being built, their marching orders were simple: Create a unified look among currently disjointed showcase rooms while balancing the design desires of a young couple. They aimed to design a light and energetic interior in the otherwise traditional neighborhood. The formal living room is the first room visitors see and where Lentini and Minkhorst began to build a good first impression. Focusing on a feminine aesthetic, they added a triptych with a modern vibe, which incorporates all the colors of the room’s furnishings – shades of warm gray, taupe, white, brown, mauve, and cream.   “The art set the tone for the entire room,” Minkhorst says. “The brass frames tie in with the inlaid brass applique in the artwork as well as the brass-trimmed coffee table and other accessories in the room.” They added texture and interest with a white contemporary Loloi shag rug and exposed wooden arms on accent chairs. Brass is a recurring theme on the first floor and makes another appearance in a transitional gold-leafed hanging light fixture that serves as the crown of the dining room. It is offset by deep navy blue walls and velvet drapery, which continues the velvet theme first introduced in the formal living room. Nearby, a powder room receives a moody, dark floral wallpaper to contrast other linear elements on the main floor, including vertical, linear wallpaper in the butler’s pantry, vertical powder room sconces, and the vertical lines of the dining room light fixture.   “The wallpaper was an instant favorite of the wife,” Lentini says. “Its oversized flowers have tiny butterflies scattered around them. It’s so realistic.” The wallpaper introduces white into this room, which Lentini says is necessary for balancing the darker, more masculine elements