No.4
The goal for the renovation of Fiona and Dan Le Neveu’s new-build home was to keep its smart sleekness but also give it an inviting look that oozes charm
FEATURE JULIET BENNING |
HOME TRUTHS
THE PROPERTY A detached new-build house
ROOMS Kitchen-diner/living area, utility room, sitting room, music room, playroom, four bedrooms, four bathrooms
LOCATION Worcestershire
When Fiona Le Neveu first moved into her husband Dan’s new-build property she had one clear thought; it was a house, not a home. The couple share housebuilding business, St Philips, and Dan had built the house eight years previously after buying a small parcel of land outside a village in Worcestershire. The couple now live here with Fiona’s two elder children, Anna, 11, and Thomas, seven, along with her and Dan’s daughter, Sophie, four.
‘Dan’s very open about the fact that he didn’t know what to do with the house. It was a good size but a real bachelor pad, with screens everywhere, no soft furnishings and lots of glass and steel. It really lacked warmth and wasn’t at all welcoming,’ Fiona explains. Despite its interior design shortcomings, the couple decided to stick with the house and adapt it for their family’s needs. ‘The first priority was to add a significant kitchen extension including dining and sitting areas. It allowed us to add a utility and pantry off the kitchen. The rest of the floor plan remained unchanged,’ Fiona explains. The cabinetry design company Humphrey Munson contributed strongly to the eventual look and layout of the space.
