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aisha zaman & diana prichard |
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birgitta wolfgang/sisters agency
stylingjulia mincarelli/sisters agencyTHE MORE LACKLUSTRE THE BETTER! When Sara Ekholm and her boyfriend Andrew Hughes found this 1880s
Victorian terraced house, it was completely uninspiring – but it was the exact challenge the creative couple were looking
for. “We wanted a project that we could renovate ourselves,” says Sara, who was not only drawn to the more dreary
aspects of the building, but also its charms – the unique brick exterior, high ceilings and original Victorian doors.
The couple moved in five years ago, and immediately began the extensive renovation process. Considering both the
functionality and aesthetics of the space, they reimagined the entire layout of the house. “We like things that have a
function and are beautiful at the same time,” Sara explains. By reconfiguring the downstairs, back living area and kitchen,
as well as opening up what was once a dark formal dining room, they effectively created more space, better flow and
enabled extra light to shine through the house. The back section was gutted, with the kitchen area extended into the
garden, but partitioned off from the main living area to keep it private. The couple love to entertain but, as Sara says, she
prefers “to prepare a feast in solitude and then have a grand unveiling”. And as she works largely from home, the dining AThe thinker Sara’s Scandi-minimalist-meets-vintage-chic style is expressed in the mostly soft, neutral palette and
eclectic pieces. The mix of old and new items in the upstairs living area includes an old armchair reupholstered in
vintage fabric, and an Ikea jute rug. The painting and yellow-legged console are market finds. On the menu Sara and
partner Andrew designed the dining table, flanked by bentwood chairs, complementing the tones of the worn plaster
wall and lightened pine flooring. An Ikea pendant is juxtaposed with a 1960s floor lamp for a dose of mid-century style.HOMES
real living