25 Beautiful Homes

25bh |136 | 25bh october 2017modern townhouseideal for guests, plus we really wanteda garden so we could have a dog,’explains Sammy.Soon after, a work colleague toldSammy about a new Strata Homesdevelopment that was just a fewminutes from their office and15 minutes from Leeds city centre.‘Matthew grew up in Chesterfieldliving in new-builds but I wasconcerned the rooms would be toosmall and was keen to find an olderproperty,’ says Sammy, originallyfrom Cardiff. ‘However, when I sawthe spacious hall and kitchen of theshow home, I had to think again.’The pair reserved a slightlylarger house type off-plan, whichhad an extra room over the garageto give them a decent-sized guestbedroom. Since their previous rentalhome had been fully furnished, theyhad to buy everything new. ‘It wasreally exciting when the beds arrivedon day one and sofas on day two,’recalls Sammy. ‘Although it was abit stressful when the delivery mensuggested taking out the staircaseto get the sofa into the sitting room.Luckily, my mother-in-law persuadedthem to just try a bit harder!’Sammy had more reason thanmost to be happy to move into thenew house. Earlier that year she hadbeen diagnosed with a rare form ofbowel cancer. ‘I’m now in remissionso this was a happy ending to adifficult year,’ she says.Six months after moving in, thecouple started decorating andreplaced the solid internal doors with``````SNUGThis was originallyset up as a diningroom in the showhome but thecouple decidedto use it as awarm and cosyplace to relax inthe evenings.Posters 2 cherishsells personalisedfilm posters from£24.99 for A4 size.trafalgar Grandtour sofa in clay(with Londonstation cushions),£1,299, DFS. betacushion in black£40, barker &Stonehouse. Loganwhite drinkscabinet, £80, Next.``````Antic gold glassvase, around £17,Maisons du Monde,has this look``````SiTTiNGr o o m‘my favouritepiece in here is thecoffee table withits sliding sectionsas it’s so unusual,’says Sammy.rotate coffee table,£199, Dwell, is amatch. Wall paint,crown breatheasyduck egg blue silkemulsion, £14per 2.5 litres,Homebase. Forsimilar frames,£35 each, try theWhite company