When an architect with Nordic roots and a minimalist outlook and an interior designer who loves to mix in ornate details and artisan elements decided to create a home together, the result was a smart, stylish space that works perfectly for them both
HALLWAY
HOME PROFILE
Chelsea Nelson, an interior designer, and her partner in work and life, Alex Wright, an architect
A new-build, two-and-a-half-storey house, including an attic level, in Leytonstone, east London
DINING ZONE
DINING AREA
SITTING ROOM
With the design and build of their new home in Leytonstone, east London, architect Alex Wright and his partner, interior designer Chelsea Nelson, found the perfect opportunity to combine their talents and express their creativity together. The property’s highly crafted character and bespoke ingredients provided the perfect testing ground for their design ideas and, ultimately, proved such a success that it became the launching pad for their own practice, Nelson Wright.
‘It is pretty much Alex for the architecture and me for the interiors,’ says Chelsea, ‘but we do have a slightly different aesthetic approach. Alex is very much a modernist and quite minimalist, but I quite like having some older things and more ornate details in the mix. With the house, we definitely had to meet in the middle and find common ground. We discussed every detail to make sure we were both happy. Sometimes we would go in quite strongly with our points, but eventually we came to an agreement on everything we did together.’
The couple were previously living in a rented apartment in nearby Forest Gate while juggling busy day jobs. However, they shared the ambition of creating a home for themselves, so began searching for a site where they could build from scratch. Eventually, they managed to secure a suitable location at auction, and then discovered that their new neighbour was willing to sell them a slice of his garden, which enabled them to build not one house but two.
‘It was all very serendipitous,’ says Alex. ‘Building two houses w
