BEFORE & AFTER HOME
LIVING AND WORKING IN THEIR FLAT DURING ITS LOCKDOWN RENOVATION PROVED TO BE A CHALLENGE WELL WORTH ENDURING FOR FRANCESCA JOHNSON AND HER PARTNER BEN SHAPLAND
FEATURE JULIET BENNING STYLING ALI LOVETT PLAN RICHARD HOOKWAY
HOME NOTES
Francesca Johnson, a marketing consultant and interior designer, (@theconcept_incuration) and her partner Ben Shapland, an analyst for an energy company.
A two-bedroom first-floor flat in a shared Victorian building in St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex, bought in 2020.
Living room
‘We made the doorway into a larger opening to create a more open-plan feel,’ says Francesca. ‘And we made sure the new architrave worked with the original architectural details.’
MELLOW TONES
The warm-yellow base of the paint used on the walls works in a room regularly flooded by sunlight
B eing confined to their London flat during the spring 2020 lockdown conversely made Francesca Johnson and partner Ben Shapland want to buy a property together. ‘We always thought we’d never leave London but, during lockdown, had enjoyed a quieter pace of life. We looked to St Leonards-on- Sea where we’d spent happy weekends and where several friends live,’ says Francesca.
The couple discovered the right property after only a handful of viewings. ‘It was a glorious day and the flat was flooded with sunshine, feeling incredibly light and spacious and with so much promise,’ she recalls. ‘We bought it from an investor who had done cosmetic work but it wasn’t in a good state of repair. However, it had stunning architectural details, such as bay windows and ornate ceilings and cornicing.’
MAKING PLANS
Following completion, the couple couldn’t move in straight away. The flat had no bathroom or kitchen, so they lived in Airbnbs for two months and used the time to reconfigure the layout. They had always craved the parquet flooring, high ceilings and open-plan feel of classic Paris apartments, and wanted a similar look. ‘We found a structural engineer who put us in touch with a brilliant builder who sourced other trades,’ says Francesca.
Initially, their plan was to relocate the kitchen into the second bedroom and have an open-plan living area at the rear of the property. But they realised that this side was north facing, with less light. ‘So instead, we opened up the existing living room wall, doubling the size of the doorway and taking out a portion of the kitchen wall to create an open feel here. As
