2019-06-01 25 Beautiful Homes

25bh | victorian terrace

B

uyingtheirfirsthometogetherwasn’tsomethingthat

HayleyFosterandhusbandMikefelttheycouldtake

theirtimeover.‘Weonlyhousehuntedfora day!’says

Hayley.‘TheminuteI sawthispropertyI adoredthe

highceilings.Infact,I wassodistractedbythem,I didn’tlook

roundproperly.Wewentwithourgutinstinctsandputinanoffer.’

Totheirdelight,thecouplesecuredtheVictorianterraceand,

in2014 ,movedin.‘Weweresoluckythereweren’tanynasty

surpriseswaitingforus,’saysHayley.‘Intermsoftheworkthat

neededdoing,weknewwewantedtoputsomecharacterbackin,

converttheloftandadda kitchenextension.Butthehousewas

basicallyingoodcondition,justa bitscuffedaroundtheedges.’

Asfirst-timerenovators,HayleyandMikeapproachedthe

projectcautiouslyandtackledupstairsfirst.‘Wedecoratedthe

smallestbedroomfirst,’saysHayley.‘Thenwegotbraverandtook

thestudwalldowninthemainbedroom,whichhadbeensplitinto

two.Wethenreplasteredandredecorated.’Whilethedownstairs

roomswereheavingwithoriginalfeatures,themainbedroomfelt

‘blandandcharacterless’,soHayleyhadcast-ironradiators

anda fireplaceinstalled,refurbishedthesashwindowsandasked

localspecialiststoreplicatethecornicefromthesittingroom.

Withtheirconfidencebolstered,thecouplecontactedan

architectaboutdevelopmentplans.Butoncethefirstquotesfrom

builderscamein,theprojecthadtobeputonhold.‘I don’tthink

Grand Designsprepared me for the amount we’d have to spend,’ says

KITCHEN-DINER

IconicWishbonechairsand

a utilitarian-styletable

createa chicdiningarea.

Series3 diningtable,£1,895,

andbench,£685,both

AnotherCountry.CH24

Wishbonechairs,£443each,

Skandium.Fora similarjug,try

theSymonsbonechina,£23,

The White Company

HALL

Adarkceilingbringsa

sophisticatedyetdramatic

feeltotheentrance.

Woodworkandceilingpainted

inDrakensbergarchitects

eggshell,£68for2.5L,

PaintandPaperLibrary.

Skipperpendant,£235,

TomRaffield.Largeoakshelf,

£365, Another Country

sITTINGROOM

‘Installingthefireplacehas

broughtcharactertothe

room,’saysHayley.

Salisburywoodburning

stove,£1,500,Chesneys.

Madisonmirror,£225,

The White Company

38 | 25bhjune 2019