2019-08-01_25_Beautiful_Homes

town

W

henSarahLovedayand

herhusbandKenfirst

sawa ‘soulless’Fifties

homeinLeamington

Spa,theydismissedit outofhand.‘There

wasn’tmuchI likedaboutthehouse

• apartfromthefactthatit offeredusthe
  spacethatweneeded,’saysSarah,a brand
  designerandinteriorsstylist.‘Wetoldthe
  estateagentweweren’tinterestedand
  thehousesoonsold.Butthenit came
  backontothemarket.’Theestateagent
  persuadedSarahtolookagain.
  ‘Withsomereluctance,werealisedit
  wasjustwhatweneeded,’shesays.‘Itwas
  dull,plainandempty– butofferedus
  plentyofspace.Annie,ourmiddlechild,
  wasjustthreeweeksoldatthetimeand
  weweredesperateformoreroom.’
  Butthefamilyfacedanunexpected
  challenge when they moved in that

almostputa stoptorenovationplans.

‘Thehousewasinfestedwithrats,’says

Sarah.‘Itwashorrendous.Forthefirst

ninemonths,weweren’tsureif we’dstay

becausewejustcouldn’tgetridofthem.

Theywereinthecavityspaceabovethe

kitchen,thesittingroomandthestudio

• knowingtheyweretherewashorrible.
  Itwasn’tuntiltheyweregonethatwefelt
  wecouldstartmakingthehouseours.’
  Thefirsttaskwastowidenthe
  hallway,whichSarahdescribesasnarrow
  andoutofproportiontotherestofthe
  house.‘Wehadplentyofspaceinthe
  sittingroom,sowepushedthatwallback.
  Wealsoputina newfrontdoorand
  addeda chimneybreasttothesitting
  room,whichmadea realdifferenceasit
  gavetherooma much-neededfocalpoint.’
  Workingtoa budget,thecouple
  decided to postpone doing a full kitchen

KITCHEN

Hi-glosscabinetfrontswere

replacedwithmattwhite

oneswithvintage-lookhandles.

Cabinetdoors, from£53each,

Howdens.Billingsgateclock,£350,

Heal’s.WallsinBrilliantWhitematt

emulsion, £20 for 2.5L, Dulux

home truths

TheproperTy

Fiftieshouse

L o C AT I o NWarwickshire

rooMSHallway,sittingroom,

kitchen-diner,utilityroom,

designstudio,fivebedrooms

(oneensuite),bathroom

pUrChASeD 2012

preVIoUSproperTy

‘Welivedina Victorianterrace

in the same town,’ says Sarah.

90 | 25bhauGuST 2019

25bh |