25 Beautiful Homes – June 2019

25bh | victorian maisonette

forstockistsgotowheretobuy

D

eeJefferylikesnothingbetterthantoturna

wreckintoa chichome.Thereareatleast 11

projectsinherportfolioandthis,herlatest,she

saysis unique.‘Havingalwayslivedinhouses,

I’dneverbeenconfinedtothegroundfloor,sothiswasa

challenge,’shesays.Theflatshefoundwasina peaceful

streetinsouthLondon.Theinteriorhadpotentialfortwo

bedrooms,a largelivingareaanda studyand,withonly

oneofherdaughters,Gabrielle,24 ,stilllivingathome,it

wasallDeeneeded.‘The gardenwasextralong,’shesays,

‘soI alsoplannedtobuilda guestsuiteatthefarend.’

Foritsprevioususeasstudentdigs,however,theflathad

beendividedintoa longnarrowhall,threecrampedbedsits,

a tinybathroomanda kitchenette.AssoonasDeeexchanged

contracts,shecalledonanarchitect,andtheypooledtheir

talentstocomeupwitha plan.‘Wedugouta basement,

whichwasquiteanengineeringfeat,’saysDee.‘Itwasa scary

daywhenthewholehousehadtobejackeduponirons.’

Additionstothesidereturnincludea slopingglassroofand

threedouble-storeylightwells– oneseparatingthetwo

bathrooms;theothersactingascourtyardstothebedrooms,

whereFrenchdoorsopenontothepatios.‘Eachcourtyard

hasa mirroredwalloppositethedoors,’saysDee.‘Thisis a

greattrickthatappearstodoublethesizeofthespaces.’

A formeractressandmodel,Deelovestoentertain.‘I

reallywantedthespacestobelinked,tocreatetheperfect

partyhouse,’shesays.‘Theannexewebuiltattheendof

thegardenis anidealpartyoverspillspace,andthereis a

bedroomandbathroomforguestswhostayovernight.’

Toconnectindoorsandout,Deechosequalityall-

weatherfloorboardsinpreferencetograssorpavingstones

outside.‘Theyvisuallyunitethegardenwiththeinterior,’

shesays.‘Beingabletoopena wholewallofdoorsis a huge

bonus.Onsummerdaysit feelslikewe’redininginthe

Mediterranean– noonewouldthinkwe’reinanurbanarea.’

Toguaranteea greatfirstimpression,Deestipulateda

good-sizehall.‘Theexistingcorridorwasknockedintowhat

wastheoldkitchentobecomethenewentrancearea,which

doublesasmyoffice,’shesays.A bar,tuckedatoneendofthe

kitchenandlinedwithantiquemirror,built-inlightsand

glassshelvesis a keyingredientinDee’spartyplan.

‘Intheprocessofdownsizing,I hadsuchgoodintentions

• I wasdeterminedtogiveawayloadsofstuff,’saysDee,
  ‘butI foundit sodifficult.Thankfully,mycarpenterwas
  veryinventive.Hebuiltunobtrusivewallsofstoragein
  everyroom.Inthehall,wheremydeskis concealedbehind
  cupboarddoors,thebrilliantlyconfiguredmixofwood
  andwhitelookslikea workofart.’
  Deelovesthecompactnessandversatilityofhernew
  home.‘Apartyfor 30 doesn’tovercrowdthespace,yetwhen
  I’monmyown,I don’tfeelasthoughI’mrattlingaround,’
  shesays.‘Itis perfectformeineveryway.’

FAVOURITE FEATURE ‘The wall of glass doors that opens up the living space

to the secluded garden – it makes it hard to believe we live in the heart of the city’

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48 | 25bh june 2019