| HOUSE OF THE MONTH |
Emma Wilson opted to transform her short-on-space childhood home into a practical, multitasking house that doesn’t skimp on style
FEATURE RACHEL LEEDHAM
KITCHEN
An extension to the back and side resulted in this bright, light space. The sleek bank of built-in cupboards provides loads of storage without cramping the room.
HOMETRUTHS
Terraced Victorian cottage
Sitting room, kitchen-diner/living area, snug, garden room, cloakroom, four bedrooms, three bathrooms
South London
DINING AREA
Banquette seating was incorporated into a wall of joinery to allow extra space for dining.
W house,hen her mother passed away, leaving her the small family home in south London, Emma Wilson’s original plan was to renovate the house in order to rent it out or sell it. But having appointed architect and friend Oliver Browning, as well as interior designer Lara Clarke, to transform the outdated property, it began to dawn on Emma that she wasn’t prepared to let go of the house. ‘This is my roots – it is where mum and I had lived,’ says Emma. ‘Talking to Oliver and Lara, I realised we could create a home that was bespoke to my family. It felt incredibly exciting.’
The terraced cottage was originally built for rail workers, and when Emma lived there with her mother, it had just two bedrooms. Oliver came up with plans to extend into the roof to create a further two bedrooms and a bathroom, while on the ground floor an extension to the side and back of the house enabled the creation of an open-plan family kitchen. Lara further enhanced the plans by suggesting a main suite arrangement on the first floor, complete with a walk-through dressing area. ‘These changes have transformed the way the house gets used,’ says Emma.
Living with their two daughters, now aged 12 and 10, in their previous home in Wandsworth, Emma and her husband, Stewart, had realised there were times when they all needed their own space. So the sitting room and adjoining snug both have pocket doors so that each of the ground floor’s three rooms can be separated, when needed. Flexibility was also key – the top floor study multitasks as a guest room as well as providing another space to watch TV.
One of Lara’s key skills is the ability to design fantastic storage and this is seen throughout the where bespoke cupboards are both beautiful and practical. In the kitchen, grooved cupboard fronts and smart iron handles lend texture and interest to this pale space, while the main bedroom’s wardrobe doors are covered in wallpaper to turn them into a
