modern detached | 25bh
W
henSallyGreenandherhusband
SimonWallaceneededa largerhome,
closertowheretheywerebothworking
inLeeds,theyfounda detachedhouse
nearthecitycentreyetontheedgeofthecountryside.
‘Itneededupdating,butgaveusthebestofbothworlds,’
saysSally,a part-timeinterior-designconsultant.
Whatbeganasa cosmeticrevampquicklyturned
intoa majorrenovation.Whilethehousewasbeing
dismantledaroundthecouple,it wasbusinessasusual.
‘Weweresleepingonmattressesonthefloorandgetting
dressedformeetingsinthemiddleofa buildingsite
duringtheworstpartoftherenovation,’recallsSally.‘It
wasquitestressful,butyoujusthavetokeepfocused.’
Ittooka yeartogivethe‘ordinaryhouseinan
extraordinarylocation’a structuraltransformation,which
tookthepropertybacktoa shellbeforeit wasremodelled
intoa modern,free-flowingfamilyhome.Theinteriorwas
fittedwithnewdoors,floorsandbanisters,andthewall
betweenthekitchenanddiningroomwasremovedto
createa spaciouskitchen-diner.‘Bythetimewegotround
tothekitchen,it wasMarchandsnowingoutside,’says
Sally.‘Therewerepropsholdingupthewallwherebifold
doorsweregoingandwejusthada plasticsheetbetween
usandtheelements.Itwasa bitofa lowpoint.’
Sally’smoodsoonliftedwhenthenewkitchenand
bathroomswerefinallycompletedandshecouldgeton
with the more pleasurable task of decorating and furnishing
cloaKroom
‘Gototownonthesmallestroominthehouse,’saysSally,
whosechoiceofwallpaperaddsa senseoffuntothisspace.
EphemeraNightSpotwallpaper,£89.95a roll,TheBest
Wallpaper Place. Countertop basin, £108, Easy Bathrooms
hall
‘i choseshadesofwarmblueandgreytolinkthisareawith
theadjacentkitchenanddrawpeoplein,’saysSally.
MulberryHomeFlyingDuckswallpaper,£95a roll,JohnLewis
& Partners.Frenchtw0-drawernarrowconsoletable, £315,
The Dormy House, is a good alternative
Kitchen-diner
Viewsareenjoyedthroughthebifolddoorsduringtheday,
whileatnightvoilecurtainsprovideprivacyandcosiness.
Parkerextendingdiningtableandchairsset,£799,DFS,is
comparable.TryAmticoSpaciaAbstractSoftlinePebble vinyl
flooring, £36.99sq m, Lifestyle Flooring