HOMES

25bh |68 | 25bh october 2017 for stockists go to where to buyformer public house1 bathroomThe developer chose the fittingsbut Gemma and Daniel addedthe painted antique mirror.the Duke roll-top bath, £450,Victorian Plumbing, is similar.Stamford floor tiles, £53.98sq m,topps tiles, are a match. tryrust-oleum winter grey spraypaint, £9 per 400ml, b&Q``````2 master bedroomThis simple scheme can be quicklyrefreshed with chic accessories.For a similar bed frame, see theJulien bowen corsica design, £120,worldStores. the Kissing Stagsdouble duvet set, £85, Anorak,is near-identical. clarissa hulse’sboston Ivy knitted throw in yellow,£150, Debenhams, is similar``````3 nurseryGemma created an Alpine scenewith masking tape and spray paint.Alphabear print, £14, corbytinderstick at this Modern Life.children’s eames-style rAr rockingchair, £27.95, Stone butterfly``````the space offered a degree of flexibility.‘the developer had suggested installinga partition wall in the basement to createboth a dining space and cinema room,’ recallsGemma. ‘however, we felt that an open-plan sitting room/playroom would workmuch better since it has direct access to thegarden, while the dining area should beupstairs, next to the kitchen.’Fortunately, the pair were happy with thedeveloper’s choice of kitchen and bathroom,along with the white-painted walls and lightgrey woodwork. ‘they’d picked the kind offittings we would have chosen ourselves, such``````as the patterned floor tiles in the kitchen,’says Gemma. ‘We didn’t have a lot of inputin case the sale fell through, but we didchoose the colour of the wood flooring.’after moving in, Gemma and danielstarted personalising their new home withplantation shutters for the kitchen, carpetsfor the bedrooms and new furniture. as thepub was built in 1854 , the couple wantedthe decor to reflect its past. ‘the high ceilingsand cast- iron radiators lend themselves to amore industrial feel, so we’ve added thingssuch as factory-style pendants lights, animalskulls and prints from a brewery,’ says``````Gemma who loves finding eye-catchingvintage pieces with a story behind them. Forinstance, she found a Racing Post newspaperfrom the year she was born in their previoushome and had it framed. Gemma also plansto use old factory parts as door stops.two years on, and the kitchen is graduallychanging, too. the couple have alreadyswapped the developer’s wood-effectworktops for burnished, faux-metal laminateand replaced the chrome sink with a blackcomposite design with a copper tap. next on``````the agenda is fitting new door fronts in darkgraphite with aged copper handles andputting up scaffold-board shelving.despite daniel’s occasional itchy feet foranother project, the pair plan to stay put asthey love the area and have another baby onthe way. ‘It’s like a village within a city with itsown high street and two parks within walkingdistance,’ explains Gemma. ‘most housesaround here are either small two-beddersor really large, so we’re lucky to have foundsomething in-between with such character.’design tip ‘Adding quirky accessories to a neutralbackdrop is a great way of being brave with your decor’132