2019-07-01_Your_Home

http://www.yourhomemagazine.co.uk June 2019 87

REAL HOME

W

hen Ellie McManaman bought
a Georgian town house in the
centre of York, she decorated it
in a style sympathetic to the era of the
property – but then quickly realised she
had made a big mistake. ‘I thought it
was the right thing to do for the property
when, in fact, it wasn’t me at all,’ she says.
‘As soon as I started to be true to myself
and reflect my personality, it all fell into
place. I discovered you could mix old and
new together, and that it was OK to inject
splashes of bright colour into the scheme.
It didn’t have to be traditional.’
In fact, it’s taken three years for Ellie
and Simon to create a home that reflects
their individuality – and they probably
wouldn’t have done it without the help
of Ellie’s father. ‘It started with a bit of
a misunderstanding,’ says Ellie. ‘My dad
runs a building company and I brought him
to see the property because I thought he’d
like to buy it to renovate. Dad thought I
was showing him because I was interested
in buying it for myself and wanted his
opinion. I didn’t take much persuading. The
moment I saw inside I fell for it hook, line
and sinker! It looks small from the outside
but it’s like the Tardis – the rooms are
really spacious.’
Ellie and Simon moved from a two-
bedroom terraced house nearby and moved
in to start the renovation, but soon moved
out again and into a rented flat until the
main structural work was completed. The
previous owners had turned the entire
ground floor into a hairdressing business,
and lived in the flat above the shop. With
help from her dad, Ellie and Simon

Feature

Heather Dixon

Photos

Dave Burton

For stockists see page 120

COME ON IN...

WE ARE Ellie McManaman, I run a

homewares and lifestyle gift shop, located

below my home. I live here with my partner,

Simon, who works in insurance. We have

two pugs, Booey and Tank.

MY HOME Is a four-bedroom

Georgian town house in York. We bought

it in June 2015.

MY BEST BARGAIN Was the wooden

table that sits at the foot of our bed which

cost just £5 from a charity shop.

I WOULD CHANGE The room upstairs

that we’ve not done anything with yet – we

hope to turn it into a study for Simon and an

art studio for me.

MY FAVOURITE ROOM Is the

dining area because it’s fun and a great

space for socialising.

MY TOP TIP Is

to make sure your

house reflects your

personality – if you go

against your instinct

it won’t feel right.

GROUND FLOOR

TOP FLOOR

These glass and brass display boxes from
Ellie’s shop, Bare, echo the style of the
mirrored cabinet from HomeSense

Kitchen

Dining room Shop

Bedroom 2

Bedroom 1

wc

Lounge

Bedroom

4

wc

Hall

Hall

Utility FIRST FLOOR

Bedroom 3