I love how calm and collected my home feels

TRANQUIL TERRACE

My story

‘I’d been renting in Leeds for eight years, but after lockdown hit, I wanted the stability of buying my own place and was ready to leave my flat by the canal. It wasn’t easy being a solo female buyer, but after searching for two years and putting in offers on lots of houses, I finally found the right property.

By fluke, I came across this three-bed terraced house that had been rented out for 10 years. It was a complete reno job, but I loved the high ceilings and the amount of light coming in. I also discovered it was built using stones from the old Rothwell Castle nearby, which gave it a sense of history. Not wanting to miss out, I got in there early with a strong offer.

Luckily, I was able to live with loved ones during the renovation, which included a new kitchen, flooring, replastering and knocking two smaller bedrooms together. It was a slow process as I was let down by tradespeople, which was a learning curve.

Style-wise, I wanted to create a feeling of flow throughout the house while retaining the traditional features. I’ve developed a strong sense of style and I’ve learnt that as long as I adore each piece and it features depth, texture and a tonally suited colour palette, it comes together in the space. In the next couple of years, I’d like to upgrade to a bigger place full of cosy, homely features with views and great walks nearby, but this home is perfect for right now.’

Welcome to my home

A BIT ABOUT ME

I’m Annabel Igoe, 34, a design director at a creative agency, and I live with my toy poodle, Albus.

WHERE I LIVE

A two-bedroom stone terrace in Leeds, built in the early 1900s. I bought it in October 2020 and you can see more of my home journey on Instagram@casa.and.coal.

WHAT I WANTED TO CHANGE

I knew the magnolia walls had to go, but it wasn’t until I got the keys that I realised how much work needed doing, including a complete rewire, new plumbing, repairs to the roof, re-pointing and insulation. T