Moving from a semi to a detached period house in need of some care was a happy adventure for Am and Aman Hayer
FEATURE JANET McMEEKIN
SITTING ROOM
For cohesion, blue tones used in the kitchen were pulled through to here and teamed with warm wood and ochre.
KITCHEN
The new picture window floods the room with light and frames the couple’s garden.
HALLWAY
A circular rug echoes the table.
Having struck gold and found a period property in her favoured area, when it came to turning the house into a beautiful home, Am Hayer had a secret weapon up her sleeve. ‘As my husband, Aman, and I both have busy jobs and are far from design experts, we hadn’t the time or skills to do our last house justice,’ Am says. ‘When we bought this, I knew I’d need help from a designer, and was lucky to cross paths with Sarah Gordon, who has created the home of our dreams.’
Back in 2019, the couple were living in a semi in Huddersfield with their twin daughters, Simran and Sonam, now 11. ‘We needed more space and began hunting for a detached property,’ says Am. Biding their time, the couple were thrilled when details of a property that looked suitable appeared online. ‘During our first viewing, we were both impressed with the room proportions, period features and light streaming in through the large windows,’ says Am. ‘The outlook to the rolling hills was stunning. We put in an offer, which was accepted.’
The family moved in during the autumn of 2019 and began familiarising themselves with the property and area. ‘Sadly, Covid threw a spanner in the works and things had to go on hold for a time,’ says Am. ‘However, in September 2020, when we met Sarah, it was as though fate had intervened. We instantly clicked with her design ethos, approach and personality.’
After listening to her clients’ thoughts, Sarah came up with a raft of inspiring ideas to update the house. ‘We loved Sarah’s suggestions for beautiful schemes to elevate our home in a way that would inject colour, be subtly cohesive and mindful of our Indian heritage,’ says Am. ‘The palette features predominantly blues and greens with pops of ochre and pink.’
In the kitchen, new windows and bi
