Using predominantly vintage and antique items and a healthy dose of creativity, Anna Hope has lovingly turned a Victorian house in Bristol into a family home with a distinctly Englishcountry flavour
FEATURE ALICE ROBERTON PHOTOGRAPHS TAMSYN MORGANS
Brought up in the Midlands and having lived in both London and Palestine, it was Anna Hope’s arrival in Bristol in 2016 – a city associated with her mother’s side of the family – that finally gave her a sense of belonging. And two years ago, having outgrown their first house, Anna and her husband, Rich Hawkes, decided to put down more permanent roots when they moved into a Victorian terrace better placed for both their work and their children’s school.
Although the house was in good repair, many of its original Victorian features had either been removed or covered up, so the couple have worked hard to expose and recondition the floorboards, completely reconfigure the galley kitchen and redecorate the house throughout.
The transformation of the kitchen was the most significant part of the project, and one that felt essential in order to restore balance to the generous proportions of the house and also create a hub for family life. ‘The previous kitchen was only just big enough for two people,’ says Anna, ‘and the views of the garden were blocked.’
With sustainability at the forefront of their plans, the couple elected to use as many salvaged and vintage pieces as possible in the remodel: an old French dough bin is now an unusual island, scaffold planks make sturdy shelves, and the classic-looking dresser at one end of the kitchen is not quite what it seems. ‘We’ve repurposed an old shelving top and created a curtained cupboard underneath,’ Anna explains, adding
