2019-06-01 25 Beautiful Homes

period semi | 25bh

design tip

‘If you’redoinga massiverenovation,

checkbehindstudwalls– wefoundso

many hidden original features’

homeoffice

SiobhanandJim

describetheirstyle

asretro,andmanyof

theirhome’smore

unusualaccessories

werepickedupin

vintageshops–

includingtheframed

printsinthisroom.

Fora similarcabinet,

tryElderflowerLane’s

tallmetalindustrial

chestofdrawers,£248.

Lamp,£125,Revival

Vintage.cushion,£65,

JocranstonTextiles.

Fora similarpaint

colour,tryArsenic

estateemulsion,£46.50

for 2.5L, Farrow & Ball

hall

Siobhanrestoredthe

doortoitsoriginal

elegance,adding

colouredglasspanels.

Mirror,£180,

Revival Vintage

H

avingdecidedtoswapLondonfora more

relaxedfamilylifebythesea,Siobhan

O’Learywasclearaboutonething– she

didnotwanttotakeonanotherproject.

‘We’dalreadydoneuptwohousesandthistimewejust

wantedtomoveinandstartliving,’saysSiobhan.Soher

heartdidn’texactlyleapforjoywhensheandherhusband

Jimfirstvieweda semi-detachedhouseinHove.‘We

reallydidn’tlikeit,’shesays.‘Theownerhaddividedit up,

creatinga flatdownstairs,whileupstairshadbeencarved

intobedsitswitha sharedkitchen.Itneededa lotofwork.’

Butafterseeinglotsofotherpropertiesinthe

area,thecouplebegantoseethecreativepossibilities.

‘Werealisedwe’dwanttochangeanyhousewebought

tosuitourtastes,andthisonereallyhadloadsof

potential,’saysSiobhan.‘Itwasalsothebiggest Victorian

houseclosetotheseathatwecouldafford.’

Itwas 2005 whenSiobhan,whohasa jewellery

company,HoityToity,movedinwithJim,alongwith

daughterMolly,thenagednine,andsix-year-oldson

Frank.Andthefirstprioritywastoconvertit backto

a wholehouse.‘Everythingwasguttedandweput

doorwaysbacktotheiroriginalposition,’shesays.

Duringthesixmonthsit took,thefamilycamped

outinoneroom.‘Havingdoneuphousesbefore,we

knewwhattoexpect,’saysSiobhan.‘Butit’salways

thesamethingthatreallygetstoyou– thedust.’

Theupheavaldid,however,uncoversometreasures.

‘When we took down some stud walls, we found lovely

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