The carefully planned renovation of Amanda and Colin Wilson’s Victorian property in East Sussex works perfectly as their children grow
WordsJANE CRITTENDENStylingMARISHA TAYLORPhotographyJAMES FRENCH
Upon buying a tired double-fronted Victorian semi in Brighton with bags of potential, little did Amanda and Oliver Wilson realise just how much its eclectic location and surroundings would dictate the look and feel of their new home’s décor.
‘Neither of us had undertaken a large renovation project before, and it took a little while to figure out how we wanted the interiors to express who we are,’ explains Amanda. ‘Working with Emma Capron at Bean Interiors, we soon realised that our home was all about our love for living in Brighton – it’s where we met, had our children, and built our life. So with both the sea and the countryside around us, she suggested we take our design cues from here.’
The property was near to where the couple already lived, and as it had been empty for over two years, was also eligible for a tax reduction on the project, which was to massively help toward the renovation costs. ‘It presented such a fantastic opportunity for us to create our forever home,’ recalls Amanda. ‘However, Oliver and I had no experience of this scale of renovation, but like anything, if you don’t know what you’re doing, then you bring in a specialist.’
Their new neighbours recommended local architects Archangels, so the couple met with the team and explained how they wanted to create a bigger kitchen by connecting it with the current utility room at the back of the house. This space had a low roof so posed a few problems, and the couple also wanted to convert the loft, so the company suggested maximising the architectural effect of light and space with large amounts of glazing, which would in turn strengthen the connection with the newly designed garden.
‘The house was pretty big compared to our previous Victorian semi, and we didn’t really know how to make best use of the space,’ admits Amanda. ‘We needed hand-holding the entire way, which was why we decided to bring Emma Capron in, after seeing her work on Houzz.’
Since Emma is an interior architectural designer, the
