Serendipity played a part in Alex and Chelsea being able to build this gorgeous home from scratch – it’s a dream come true
DINING AREA
Chelsea usually forages in the nearby woodlands for leaves and twigs to make a wreath like this to sit above the Christmas table. The built-in bleached oak seating and shelves offer practical storage and add character to the house.
KITCHEN
A mix of materials gives a vintage vibe – bleached oak cupboards, steel door fronts and marble surfaces – a long way from the kitchen fit-out in your average new build.
LIVING ROOM
‘I designed pocket doors so the space between the living room and kitchen can be used open plan or closed off for more intimacy,’ says Alex. The courtyard garden beyond has cooking and seating areas so the couple hang out there a lot.
When you’ve just built a house, plus the one next door, established an architectural practice and, er, had a baby, life can be pretty full-on.
So when it comes to the festive season, you deserve to put your feet up. ‘We intend to,’ says architect Alex Wright, one half, with interior designer partner Chelsea Nelson, of Nelson Wright Architects. ‘My mum is Finnish so in Scandi style we celebrate with our big meal on Christmas Eve with close family who live nearby.’ The next day, all of them, including baby Rufus, who turned one in October, venture out for a nature walk in the ancient woodland forest minutes from their home in east London. The couple’s festive decorating style reflects their paredback, millennial-hip, house vibe – ‘just elevated with foraged branches, twigs, fir cones and candles to dress it up a bit,’ explains Alex.
Life does feel rather surreal for Alex and Chelsea, who went from renting a flat to finding a piece of land, bu
