The spacious functionality of a contemporary house

Louise Davies’ family home has the spacious functionality of a contemporary house with perfect period touches Words KATHERINE SORRELL Photographer ANYA RICE.

With its traditional bricks, bay windows and pitched slate roof, Louise Davies' fivebedroom home looks like it's been rooted in its semi-rural surroundings for decades. Yet in fact, it’s only five years old – a new-build situated on a convenient plot in the historic market town of Hertford. Having bought the land when her old house, a Victorian terrace in Tunbridge Wells, became too small for her growing family, interior designer Louise briefed an architect to design a home that suited her perfectly. ‘I knew what I wanted, and wasn’t afraid to show him pictures of the sort of thing I liked,’ she recalls. ‘With a bit of tweaking, he came up with plans for a simple, traditional house, but with a huge kitchen-diner, plenty of natural light and some period-style details. One thing I also wanted was a big hallway – it was so narrow in our old house, and I spent hours debating how to create a wow-factor entrance without wasting a lot of space.’ After the lengthy process of gaining planning permission, the property was built in around nine months and with remarkably few problems, thanks to Louise meeting the builders on site every day and being ruthless about sticking to her budget. It was the garden that was perhaps the biggest surprise – high fencing, plus years of uncontrolled tree growth, made it impossible to see what was beyond the boundary – and when the overgrowth came down, spectacular views over an open field to woodlands and countryside were revealed.

Both inside and out, Louise has worked hard to create a sense of old meets new. Subtle period features such as panelled doors, cornices, high skirting boards and detailed door architraves mingle with understated modern touches. Light and bright, the house exudes a comfortable warmth that's only achieved when everything is in just the right place. With three children, it was important to Louise that the layout was supremely practical as well as pleasing on the eye. ‘I tried to interpret the design as Victorian/Edwardian classic, with cleaner lines,' she says. 'It’s a very simple, square house, but I planned everything incredibly carefully, from the built-in coat cupboards downstairs to the coving that finishes off all the rooms.’ Plenty of storage throughout was essential, Louise explains. ‘In our previous home, everything was piled in the attic, but for this house I spent days researching ideas for every room.’

Leading from the spacious hallway, where Louise designed tall, shallow shoe compartments with panelled fronts, pale porcelain flooring flows through to the kitchen-diner, which overlooks the stunning garden and boasts floor-to-ceiling glass doors. One thing Louise knew right from the beginning was that she wanted a kitchen by Devol. ‘I have always admired them and I just wouldn’t entertain anything else!’ she says. ‘A range cooker, a big island and a big dining table were also on my wish list, then everything else didn’t really matter.’ The end result, with cabinetry in shades of taupe and oak worktops, features a 10-foot-long island, a double Belfast sink and factory-style metal pendant lights. At the far end is the dining table and, in the bay window, three built-in cupboards for the children’ s art supplies, with cushions on top so they double as seats. To the right of the hall, a doorway leads into the living room, with its beautiful oak floorboards and traditional wood burner. The windows are dressed with pared-back grey blinds from John Lewis, which teamed with streamlined, unfussy furnishings create a minimal yet relaxed feel that’s echoed in the playroom. Leading from the living room via double doors, there is plenty of room to spread out with toys, while a corner sofa welcomes cosy family evenings with a movie.

Upstairs, the main bedroom is simplicity itself, with a Victorianstyle cast-iron bed, elegant fitted wardrobes (again, with classic panelling) and a pair of informally gathered curtains on a plain white rail. The children’s rooms are the same blend of attractive yet functional – Isobelle’s features bunting and floral bed linens, while Maximus has a mid-sleeper bed with plenty of storage beneath for toys and books. For both the family bathroom and the en suite, Louise chose vinyl floor tiles by Harvey Maria, which add a subtle touch of pattern and colour to the otherwise fresh white scheme, where twin wall-mounted washbasins offer ease of use in a family household, as well as cleaning. Initially, Louise asked her builder to paint the whole house white. ‘I wanted to live here first before deciding on colours,’ she explains. ‘So this palette of taupes, greys and blues has evolved over time.’ In general, Louise admits that decorating decisions come quite easily to her. ‘I pour over magazines and Pinterest for ideas, but I know what I like, which is classic but with a modern twist and some Nordic elements,’ she says. ‘I can see what will work in the house and what won’t – I’ll get an image in my head, and I’m very strict. I won’t buy something just on a whim.’

Louise sourced a lot of furniture from eBay, charity shops or at antique fairs. 'I do love to have a bit of a rummage and find a bargain,' she says. 'I like TK Maxx, too – with a bit of discernment you can pick up amazing finds you don’t see anywhere else. I will sometimes sand and paint pieces to transform them into something that suits the space.’ Is there anything Louise wishes she had done differently? The answer is an emphatic: ‘No!’ she laughs. ‘Being an interiors fanatic I’m constantly changing things, but I love this house. Although it’s simple in design, it works: no complicated layouts, no unused spaces. Every room has a purpose and is lived in – and that’s what makes it a home.’ 

Sources: GoodHomes, UK, September 2018

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