RESIDENCE A Lower Penarth property overhauled into a Scandi abode complete with an indoor jungle

PUTTING DOWN ROOTS

Aga Tomaszek shows us around her overhauled property, her fi rst home, which she has transformed into a Scandi, modern abode complete with an indoor jungle

Words by Lisa Evans Photography by Aga Tomaszek

“I have fi nally realised my dream of an indoor jungle”

When Aga Tomaszek set out to set out to buy her first home, she knew she wanted a doer-upper that she could overhaul and firmly put her stamp on. When she found a never-before-modernised house in Lower Penarth that was built in the 1950s, she set to work. Here she tells us about the revamp, which is still ongoing whenever she has a creative spurt, and how her job as a photographer – mostly working within the wedding industry – plus her background studying a degree – plus her background studying a degree in architecture has been the perfect combo to help her achieve her first ever regeneration project.

What did the house look like when you moved in? We got the keys in March 2018 and moved in just in time for Christmas 2018 following a nine-month renovation. The house was built in 1953 and it was never modernised; it needed a total overhaul. The elderly lady who lived in it was its first and only owner.

With Aga’s degree in architecture, planning the renovation proved rather easy

What was your vision for the house? My partner, Andrew, and I were on the lookout for our fi rst property; we wanted a project in a highly sought-after area, a doer-upper we could thoroughly modernise and adapt to our family needs. Our dream was to build an extension and inject new life into a tired, rigid layout.

Both my partner and I are self-employed running our own businesses in creative industries, but I have a degree in architecture so I guess planning the renovation came rather easy to me. We started with exploring the council’s website and browsing through dozens of approved planning applications by our neighbours; becoming familiar with what the planners allowed in the area was extremely helpful. We quickly assessed what was possible with similar properties to ours and recognised the ideas that appealed to us. I prepared the planning application myself and we had it swiftly approved.

What inspired the design and look? My inspiration has always been modern, Scandinavian architecture with an abundance of natural light. Even before putting an off er on the house, I was obsessed with my future house’s orientation and aspect. We rejected all houses without southerly gardens as well as those with closed-in aspects. I was determined to move away from the pokey character of the 1950’s British housing, therefore I planned for large open spaces and intended to make the most of uninterrupted views.

How would you describe the look of the house now? We have defi nitely moved away from the compartmentalised, tired property we purchased. We removed all of the internal walls (except the shower room which we built in place of the existing kitchen) and built a large, single storey extension at the back, maximising the use of natural light by incorporating two large skylights. Style wise, it’s a creative mix of everything I love – there are elements of modern, boho, Scandi and mid-century. I off set monochromes with pops of colour, used layers, geometry and textures, and I have fi nally realised my dream of an indoor jungle – my mum used to have one in my family home and I’m proud to be carrying on the green-thumb gene.

Natural light fl oods into the kitchen via skylights

Lotti enjoys the garden as much as her people do

Could you take us room by room on a brief tour? We added a small porch at the entrance to the property – to help with the curb appeal – however, building this meant we took away the natural light from the hallway which in turn determined its décor; we decided to embrace it and go dark and moody with wooden fl oor panels and a deep grey wall. Turning left, you enter the open space where we work from (the front room has been converted to a home offi ce), eat (the back living room is now serving as dining room), chill and spend time as a family (the living room is located in the extension) and fi nally prepare meals and socialise in the newly created kitchen. The existing, small kitchen has been converted into a downstairs shower room and utility.

What is your favourite room? Most defi nitely the extension! I love the extra headroom, the light we get in there and the connection with the garden; I’m surrounded by green and brightness, it’s impossible to feel down in this space. My top favourite feature is the four-metre bifold that we open every day in the summer, as well as the skylight above the kitchen; I’m so glad we stretched the budget to get these, they seemed extravagant at the time, but they’ve been the best decisions we made.

What local businesses/shops did you visit for your décor? John Lewis, St David’s and shops like Swoon, The White Company and Homesense. I also used local tradesmen (my builder was my neighbour!), purchased my fl ooring at Number 1 Flooring on Penarth Road, found my tiles at Royal Tiles on Penarth Road, and selected furniture from FW Homestores, also Penarth Road.

What were the biggest challenges, and most rewarding parts of the revamp? The hardest part for me was project managing; my lack of experience was really put to the test. Many decisions were made prematurely without any consideration for the design, because at certain stages of the process we simply had no idea what we wanted the spaces or functions to be like – the realisation came much later. For example, the location or even colour of the radiators, and one of my biggest regrets: electrics. If I could do it all again, there would be some serious change arounds.

One of the most rewarding (and also most unexpected) parts of the revamp was getting creative with the garden. I’ve never had myself down as a gardener, but, with the start of pandemic in particular, the garden revamp was what kept us busy.

A porch was added to help with curb appeal

“Our dream was to inject new life into a tired, rigid layout”

Homes have come to mean so much more to us since we have been confi ned to them for the most part of 2020, what advice would you give people who want to make their home more of a joy to be in? I would say don’t be afraid to experiment and change things around, even if others judge you for trying. For me, a can of paint and a roller in my hand is a fun way of spending an afternoon. Who said we should only repaint a room when walls get dirty after decades of usage? I repaint whenever I feel creative or feel like I can improve the space.

It’s no news to anyone that greenery makes us feel good, therefore we should surround ourselves with living green – but I think I might have taken this approach to another level with my houseplants! A tip to those who are about to embark on a self-build or renovation: the more natural light you invite into your house, the more plant-friendly it’s going to end up!

What’s the nicest thing anyone has said about your home? I run a little home account on Instagram – @thishousewemade – where my passion for photography meets the need to document the house’s progress; when my friends visit in person they often exclaim ‘it looks even better than in the photos!’ We live in a world where everything appears better online than in reality, so a reality exceeding Instagram couldn’t be a greater compliment.

See more of Aga’s home on Instagram, @thishousewemade or see her photography website, www.agatomaszek.com

It’s all Scandi-chic in the bedroom