Amy and Jamie’s well-thought-out extension and renovation has added vital space to suit their blended family’s needs
WORDS AND STYLING MARISHA TAYLOR PHOTOGRAPHS JAMES FRENCH SHOPPING EDIT EMILY SMITH
Amy had a clear vision of what she wanted her new kitchen to look like, and ordered it all from The Kitchen Company – who also did the fitting. ‘It was more expensive than if I’d tracked things down from different sources, but it took away a lot of the legwork and stress,’ she says. Paula Rossa Manhattan kitchen, with Cimstone Quartz worktops, The Kitchen Store. The Bolero wicker bar stool from Amazon is similar A large farmhouse table and wicker chairs in the dining area add perfectly to the feel of country charm. For a pendant light, try the Nolan lantern at Castlegate Lights The new utility room is a functional space, but Amy has made it stylish with rustic touches, and an industrial light fitting to match the tap Window shutters, Shutters of London A corner sofa is in the sunniest spot in the garden on the new patio. Corner sofa, Bramblecrest.The electric awning is one of Amy’s favourite purchases. ‘We can enjoy being outside whatever the weather,’ she says. Electric awning, Shutters of London
For several years, Amy Nightingale and her fiancé, Jamie Shefford, had rented in their hometown of Brighton, along with Amy’s son, Stanley, and Jamie’s two boys, Carter and Conor, before buying a renovation project they could turn into their forever family home. ‘We were fed up with renting,’ recalls Amy, ‘and as we were thinking about having a baby, we desperately needed more space for our growing, blended family. When we finally spotted this 1930s semi-detached house, in a village on the outskirts of the city, it ticked all our boxes. We loved the area, surrounded by lots of green space, within close walking distance of the village and local school, and only a short drive back into Brighton — it felt like it had a good balance of everything.’
The house itself was in good condition, but hadn’t been updated in years and needed completely modernising. ‘I work for a new-build property developer and Jamie has his own plumbing and heating company, so we were excited to strip the house back to its bare bones and start all over again.’
The property’s generous corner plot was its biggest selling point. ‘We could instantly see that by knocking the adjoining garage down, there was huge potential to add the extra space we needed thr
