25 Beautiful Homes

period terrace| 25bh25bh october 2017 | 81``````The pRopeRTyVictorian terraceLocaTionSouthwest LondonRooms Hall, sitting room,kitchen-diner, study, fivebedrooms (one en suite),two bathroomspuRchased 2011pRevious pRopeRTy‘We rented a Victorian housein London,’ says Karine.home truthsSITTING ROOM RepLannedA combination of blues and greys createsa cool and calming ambience.Harry sofas, £1,325 each, Sofa Workshop.blue bespoke armchairs, andre upholstery.Walls painted in blackened estate emulsion,£43.50 per 2.5 litres, Farrow & ball###### Karine Valtanen has herhusband Ossi to thank forspotting the potential inan unattractive southwestLondon terrace. ‘He had viewedit without me and reported that it hadplenty of space to create a familyhome,’ she says. ‘It was cheaper thanneighbouring properties, too, becauseit needed work and most of the originalfeatures had been stripped out.’After making an offer that wasaccepted, the Valtanens moved in andquickly reinstated the Victorian covingand skirting boards, and also laid newwood f looring. ‘We invested a lot ingetting the fabric of the place back upto scratch, but then we had to stop, toconcentrate on our jobs and get thecash f lowing again,’ says Karine.When the refurbishment resumedfour years later, Karine and Ossi, whoare French and Finnish respectively,were determined to create the homethey had dreamt of. ‘After ourarchitect, Anaïs Bléhaut of DA ABDesign, helped us redesign theinterior, we asked her to recommenda builder to manage the project,’says Karine. ‘That company wasOrchestrate and they were a pleasureto work with. It was so important forthose involved to work well together.’As well as wanting to create a spaceto suit the family, which now includesScarlett, 6, and Emma, 5, Karine andOssi were determined to make thedownstairs a sociable area. With that