Inside a Victorian terrace that's a masterclass in modernisation
'When my husband Charlie found this house, I definitely had my doubts, mainly because it is in the area where I grew up in south-east London. I said, "No! I don’t want to go back there!"' laughs Katie Rowe, an interior consultant. 'But he made me see that it had good bones and ticked a lot of boxes for us. Also, I knew I had the confidence to make it work for us as a family by changing the layout.' And so they put in a cheeky offer and bought it in 2013.
The couple's previous house in Wimbledon was too small for them and their baby, Ted, but they couldn't afford anything bigger in that area, which is why they looked further afield. 'Where we are now has a great village atmosphere with good schools and good transport links into central London, just like we'd had in Wimbledon,' explains Katie. With six weeks left in their rented house before they moved in, they took the opportunity to have walls removed, leaks repaired, the fuse box moved and new floors laid.
When it came to redecorating, the couple weren't short of ideas, but opted to start with a white blank canvas throughout. 'I don’t think you should rush things – you should just move in and let the house "breathe",' says Katie. One thing they were keen to do, however, was alter the downstairs to make the dining and kitchen space more open plan. 'This made life easier when our daughter, Sophie, arrived nine months later,' explains Katie. 'We then concentrated on overhauling the garden so the children had a decent outdoor space.'
Thanks to her line of work, Katie knew what could be achieved in the dark and badly laid-out house. 'The previous owners had taken out the wall in the hallway, so effectively you walked straight into the lounge and dining room, which made it draughty and difficult to place furniture,' she explains. 'One of the first things we did was to put the wall back, which gave us a proper hallway running from the front door to the kitchen. It transformed the look and feel of the ground floor.'
The staircase in the hall had been boxed in, which made the space seem dark, and it was also in bad repair, so the couple decided to remove it and have a new one rebuilt from scratch, extending it up into the loft for continuity. 'We actually sold the old staircase,' says Katie. 'I think it now leads up to a treehouse somewhere.'
One of the pivotal points of the renovation was when they opened up the kitchen to the garden. For years it had been blocked by a bathroom that ran across the back of the house. 'It was such a great moment to finally let sunlight flood in, and the bifold doors we added make the garden part of the living space,' smiles Katie. 'It's wonderful!'
Meanwhile, the upstairs was also being renovated. The new main bathroom was a priority, and Katie wanted it to be luxurious. 'It was once a bedroom and ensuite so it's a good size,' she says. 'Underfloor heating was put in, and I decided on a wet room with a contemporary freestanding bath. However, the design began with the teak sideboard, which used to be in our old dining room. The builders adapted it to incorporate the plumbing and it's one of my favourite pieces. I also had ornate cornicing installed to soften the look of the room.'
When it came to the kitchen, Katie wanted a minimalist feel, and turned to Pluck Kitchens for help. 'I have always loved the company's ethos and passion for design,' she says. Texture and tones were important to her, and she settled on a combination of white high pressure laminate and London Plane wood. 'Nothing in the room is shiny,' she explains. 'I wanted matt finishes with an aged look, so I had the walls limewashed in Bauwerk paint, the marble splashbacks are honed rather than polished, and the floor is reclaimed.' The ceiling was also raised and a skylight installed.
A new loft extension houses the children's bedrooms and a bathroom. 'Sophie's bedroom has large Velux windows so the room is very bright,' explains Katie. 'We left the brick chimney exposed to show the origins and craftsmanship of the house. Built-in storage under the eaves futureproofs the room for when she's a teenager.' Ted's bedroom has a statement angled window that follows the eaves of the original roof. The room has a low ceiling, which is why the size and shape of the window is so important.
The loft bathroom is one of the hardest-working rooms in the house. Not only is it a shower room, it also contains the utility cupboard with the boiler and tumble dryer. A skylight adds an airy feel, and a wooden vanity unit brings warmth to the otherwise white room.
There's still work to do in the house – including the completion of the main bedroom – but Katie has already achieved a harmonious home with a simple and sustainable approach. 'We didn't extend outwards; we found we had enough space after reconfiguring what was already here,' she says. 'Also, I only buy what we love and need. For example, I've been collecting mid-century furniture for years, and I move it around now and again to see how the pieces look in a different space. It's like shopping your own home, and it's very satisfying.'
Explore the rest of the house...
Living room
Bathroom
Hallway
Bedrooms
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