Restoring the period charm of the Victorian family home

Restoring the period charm of her Victorian family home in historic Kingston upon Thames has been a labour of love for Emily Stratton. Homeowners Emily Stratton, an art director, and her husband Nick, a marketing manager Family Casper, 1, and Phoebe, 4 Location Kingston upon Thames, Greater London Property Four-bedroom, detached Victorian house.

The decision to make the move from their terraced house in the capital to a futureproofed family home led Emily Stratton and her husband Nick to the picturesque market town of Kingston upon Thames. ‘We loved the area,’ says Emily. ‘It has lots to offer in terms of culture, green space and schools, as well as being commutable into central London. So when this Victorian property came on the market, its location within walking distance to the River Thames and Richmond Park was too good to pass up.’ Stepping inside, it wasn’t exactly love at first sight, however. Over the years, many of the original features had been ripped out, meaning that the rooms throughout had lost much of their Victorian period charm. The whole place was also plagued with severe damp; the kitchen at the rear was cramped and didn’t have much in the way of storage space; the living-dining room was awkwardly-shaped; and the narrow corridor was practically blocked up with an ancient boiler. In short, it needed plenty of work. ‘We had to force ourselves to view this as a practical purchase,’ Emily recalls. ‘Nick and I knew that this would be a massive project for us both to take on, but we were also able to see its potential as a great long-term investment.’

Six months on from completing the downstairs renovation, Emily and Nick were delighted to find out that they were expecting their second child. Wasting no time and thinking about the future, they decided to extend into the loft to gain an extra bedroom. ‘It is designed to be our personal retreat one day when the children are a bit older and we can sleep upstairs from them,’ explains Emily. ‘I wanted it to be a calm, grown-up space that we could use as an escape at the end of each busy day.’ To make the upper room feel light and more spacious, large skylights were put in and a Crittall-style window fitted to match the downstairs extension. ‘It did push us over our budget for this part of the house,’ Emily admits, ‘but it was worth the money and we now have a feature that makes the most of the view.’ The generoussized loft bathroom is designed to tie in with the adjoining bedroom, with wooden wall panelling and a classic suite. ‘I was set on a freestanding bath, so Nick and I made sure there was enough room to fit one in beneath the slope of the roof,’ she adds.

Working in the photography industry meant that Emily was able to pick up ideas and inspiration from the location houses she visits as part of her job. ‘I’m lucky enough to get to work in some stunning properties around the country,’ she explains, ‘so I am always taking note of architectural and interior design ideas. And I also use Instagram as an effective way of sharing and gathering inspiration through my account @fallowgrey. It’s a wonderful online community for interiors lovers.’ Describing her own style as traditional with a modern twist, she has lovingly redecorated each room to restore key elements of the property’s traditional character. New skirting boards, coving, wooden shutters and flooring have been installed throughout, and fireplaces are reinstated as charming focal points in the living room and bedrooms. ‘I’ve definitely learned to be a little bolder with my décor choices and have actually come to regret some of my safer and more neutral decisions,’ she adds. ‘When we first renovated the place, I opted for light grey shades for the walls, which ended up feeling wishy-washy and a little bland. Even though they’re both north-facing, repainting the living room in a dark blue and the bedroom in a moodier grey has made them feel much cosier and gives them much more personality.’ Living only a few miles from Kempton Park Racecourse’s antique market, Emily’s love for sourcing vintage and unusual finds is also well catered for. ‘It’s a great feeling when you spot a one-off piece,’ she says. ‘I prefer to upcycle and modernise something than buy it new. I’ve revamped plenty of hand-me-down furniture from our families, such as the vintage chest of drawers in our bedroom’. Thriftily, Emily’s solid-wood dining table was picked up from eBay for a bargain price. ‘I also love Graham & Green,’ she adds. ‘They have such wonderfully quirky pieces. H&M Home is great as well.’

Incredibly, in just two-and-a half years, Emily and Nick’s home is unrecognisable from the tired and unappealing property the couple first laid eyes on back in 2016. ‘We hadn’t quite anticipated the true extent of the renovation required,’ she admits. ‘But because of the magnitude of the damp problem, we had to strip the whole house back to its bare bricks and start again. It’s been a real labour of love, but we’ve really benefitted from being able to redesign the space to create something that works for our whole family – and one that we can continue to grow into, going forward.’

sources: GoodHomes UK, August 2018