FAMILY HOUSE
A WARM, NEUTRAL SCHEME CREATES CALM AND BALANCE IN AMBER AND NICK HOPKINS’ RENOVATED FAMILY HOME
FEATURE MARISHA TAYLOR
FOCAL POINT
Make a feature of an island unit by painting it a different colour to the other kitchen cabinets
Kitchen
‘I didn’t want anything faddy, so I blended contemporary-style lighting and brassware with traditional Shaker-style cabinetry for a timeless look that would evolve with us as a family.’
THE LAYOUT
The hall leads into the open-plan kitchen-diner/living area, with the garden beyond. Stairs lead down to the basement, which has a cinema/snug area, playroom, utility room and gym. Upstairs on the split-level first floor is the main bedroom suite, plus guest room and bathroom. On the split-level second floor are the children’s rooms and bathroom. Stairs lead up to the study in the loft conversion.
After spending three years in Sydney, Amber Hopkins, husband Nick and their young daughter moved from Australia to Wandsworth in southwest London. They loved everything about the neighbourhood, the green spaces and easy access to the city. But when Amber found out she was expecting again, they were keen to upscale to a larger family home. However, staying in the area was a must.
WHAT DREW YOU TO THIS PROPERTY?
‘We’d seen this property listed and loved it, but it was out of our price range. However, we kept going back to it. It was only one street up from our house, and the owners had already done a lot of renovation work, creating more space than other properties in the area. Our curiosity got the better of us and we went to view it. We were smitten!’
WHAT RENOVATION WORK HAVE YOU DONE?
‘Despite the changes already made, the layout wasn’t working for us. A bright and airy home that would evolve with us as a young family was key. We removed a chimney stack from the roof down to the kitchen to give us more floor space, and floor-to-ceiling sliding doors and an oriel window were added for a better connection to the garden. Interior door frames were moved or raised to improve the flow of light and skylights were added. We knocked through from our bedroom into the small room next door to create an en-suite bathroom and tu
