No.2
This coastal home’s enticing mix of vintage pieces and comforting colours encourages relaxation and creativity
SITTING ROOM
Two vintage leather club chairs make this the perfect spot for reading or enjoying a drink by the woodburning stove.
For vintage leather club chairs, try Vinterior. Similar Edith chandelier, Soho Home. Kollam wool rug, Abigail Ahern
DINING AREA
An old metal trolley provides both storage and a display area.
Vintage metal trolley, Midcentury Modern at Dulwich. Doors and stair treads in Light Bronze Green, Little Greene
KITCHEN
Open shelving and metro tiles all the way up to the ceiling lend character.
Cabinetry, deVOL. Vintage luggage rack, Trainspotters. Scrimshaw Moby whale tray, Thomas Paul
Julia Thompson feels her shoulders drop every time she walks into the home in Whitstable she shares with her husband Paul and their 16-year-old son Frank. ‘My worries seem to fade away,’ she recounts, adding, ‘It feels like the house wraps itself around you in a big hug.’
The family, who are based in Peckham, southeast London, had been coming to Whitstable for a number of years before they purchased the property a decade ago. ‘It’s less than a minute’s walk from the sea,’ explains Julia, who instantly fell in love with the bones of the house: ‘I like the fact that the layout features split levels, which make it really interesting.’
When they first moved in, Julia redecorated the interiors throughout, installing a simple but elegant kitchen and replacing the bathroom.
Fast-forward to two years ago and Julia –whose career had in the meantime segued from fashion stylist to interior designer – was visiting a neighbour’s house in the same terrace. ‘She had recently completed a loft conversion and when I saw the sea views from the top floor, I realised we were missing a trick,’ she recalls.
The couple embarked on works to convert the attic to create an extra bedroom and bathroom, at the same time tweaking the single bedroom on the level below by removing a chimney breast so that it could accommodate a double bed. Julia also refreshed the paint colours throughout, opting for some bolder choices including dramatic black walls for one of the bedrooms and a leaf-green tongue-and-groove ceiling for the new bedroom on the top floor. ‘It helps to mitigate the fact that the ceilings on this level are inevitably lower,’ Julia notes. On the ground floor, earthy tones add warmth and include a rich mushroom hue for the panelling in the dining area, which proves a wonderful foil to bright red accessories.
DINING
