ON THE COVER JOURNEY’S END After two moves and

ENSUITE BATHROOM

In this dark and luxurious space, Bert & May’s Hexagonal tiles in Old Iron cover the walls. They’re complemented by gold and a concrete basin from The Poured Project

textures and jewel colours that pop against the moody hues. With its distinct mid-century feel and glamorous accessories, which include vintage Italian amber-coloured glass wall lights, this is the ideal setting for an elegant cocktail hour.

In contrast to the earthy tones of the ground floor, the two upstairs bathrooms, belonging to Lee ’ s daughters, are distinctively bright and cheerful, with Bert & May tiles in striking shades of pink and green. Each bathroom has its own unique look. Lee and Phil’ s ensuite in the annexe has a distinctly masculine feel, with black fixtures and dark grey tiles covering the walls and floor. Striking gold fittings lend an opulent edge. The adjoining main bedroom is equally luxurious, with rich wood tones on the bed and floor, dark green walls and textured bedlinens in rich blues and creams. Outside, at the end of the garden, the couple have installed a Study Box. The result of a collaboration between architects Box 9 Design and Bert & May, Bert’ s Boxes Collection features prefabricated modular buildings with a raw, unrefined aesthetic. With its timber-clad walls, reclaimed desk and mid-century-modern furniture, this contemporary garden office – which Phil uses for his pottery business – exudes a quiet elegance.

Just as they set out to do, Lee and Phil have completely transformed the unlikeliest of properties into something extraordinary. The house is testimony to Lee ’ s true creative spirit, unique sense of style and ability to balance bold combinations of colours, textures and materials. Now a practical, relaxing and joyful space, this family home is destined to be enjoyed for many years to come. HB

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Bring a little of Lee and Phil’s opulent, Scandi-inspired vibe into your home

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1 Brass cone wall light, £69, Houseof 2 Urchin pendant 3 Blue Alalpardo tile, £6.94, Bert & May 4 Orson side table, £179, Cult Furniture 5 Vitklöver duvet set, from £25, Ikea 6 Framed Mid Century print, £53, Abstract House 7 Reactive glaze bowl, £85, The Conran Shop 8 Tyrian Plum paint, £55.95/2.5L, Annie Sloan 9 Leon Grande sofa, from £2,295, Arlo & Jacob 10 Jade drinks cabinet, £699, Atkin and Thyme 11 Jonathan Adler Inkdrop rug, from £109, Ruggable

ST Y LE IT FOR UNDER £30

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WORDS & STYLING MARISHA TAYLOR PHOTOGRAPHY

HOME PROFILE

WHO LIVES HERE Katie Loveday, head of sales for a tech company, her husband Ed, who works in the NHS, and their children Betsy and Margot THE PROPERTY A three-bedroom, 1930s semi-detached house in Alexandra Palace, north London, bought in 2019

KITCHEN/DINER

What was once a dark and dingy downstairs area is Heritage aluminium doors Windows that span the ‘We designed the kitchen and joiner Tom Worsley created pullout drawers and cupboards the couple chose the elegant I bought a tester pot and knew so pretty and changes in

atie and Ed Loveday met in north London, married

Kin Hampstead and lived together in a flat in nearby Crouch End. ‘We loved everything about the area, ’ says Katie. ‘The green space, charming high street and welcoming community. But when our first daughter Betsy was born, we realised we desperately needed more space and couldn ’t afford to buy anything decent locally. ’

This meant they had to make the difficult decision to leave the area, and within a couple of months had moved and taken on a big renovation project in east London, with a loose plan to return one day. ‘It was a head-over-heart choice, ’ says Katie. ‘I will never forget

Ed saying that if we got this right, our next step on the ladder could be a move back to north London. ’

The couple had bought at the right time – and four and a half years later, during which period they completely renovated the property, house prices in the area had soared, giving them enough profit to think about a move back.

‘With the arrival of Margot in 2017, we decided we needed a three-bedroom property at the very least, and spent the next six months trying to buy a beautiful Edwardian house, ’ says Katie. ‘In the end, it went to sealed bids and we lost out, but this made us even more determined. Eventually, we found a three-bedroom 1930s house within our budget that had been a family home for 55 years.

The previous owners had made a few changes, or as the estate agent described them, “improvements ” , but these, along with the general maintenance, were of a poor standard – it was a big renovation job, but by that point I’d have bought a caravan if it meant the possibility of returning to the area. ’

The property had high ceilings and well-proportioned rooms, but it hadn ’t been modernised in any way. ‘The separate living and dining rooms were dark, with dated decor and old, musty carpets, ’ explains

Katie.

PENINSULA

Creating a clear division between the kitchen and dining areas, the peninsula is integral to the design of the room and also provides plenty of storage space

A sphere-and-stem chandelier and the Ekenäset armchair are a nod to Katie and Ed’ s love of mid-century design

LIVING ROOM

Opposite and this page

The warm pink wall, painted

HALLWAY

A simple runner effect has been created up the staircase. The banister is painted in Pigeon by Farrow & Ball to connect the space to the kitchen and create continuity. A cosy rug from Fy! warms the area mod cons and a leaking lean-to at the back made from brick and brittle corrugated plastic. However, we had enough renovation experience to know that with some creative thinking this could all be changed. ’ The family moved into the property in the summer of 2019 and started to work with a local architect, drawing up plans for a three-metre rear extension with a large open-plan kitchen/diner and a loft dormer for an extra bedroom and bathroom.

Of course, they had no inkling that a health pandemic was about to hit, and Katie found herself furloughed, which meant plans had to change. ‘It was a really difficult decision not to go ahead with the extension as we ’d bought the house with that vision in mind, ’ says Katie. ‘But it felt too risky to take on a huge project during such an unsettled time. We realised we could still create a light-filled space that combined all the elements of open-plan modern living, just keeping within the original footprint of the house. We put the dormer on hold and planned how to maximise on every inch. ’

The pandemic delayed everything and building materials were in short supply, but in May 2020 the renovation began. The family temporarily rented nearby to keep an eye on things and maintain a normal routine for the girls. ‘We learned from our previous renovation how awful it was living on a building site, ’ recalls Katie. Over the course of eight weeks, the house was gutted and two internal walls removed to connect the downstairs rooms. The 1930s back windows and doors were replaced with aluminium ones the full width and height of the ground floor, leading out to a newly raised patio with steps down to the garden. New sash-and-case windows were fitted, cast-iron radiators added in each room, and the house fully rewired and replastered.

As the walls came down during the renovation, so did the period features. Now, ceiling roses, coving, skirting, picture rails and fireplaces have been reinstated, and original floorboards sanded back. ‘Making the most of the space we had was vital, ’ says Katie. ‘We ’ ve had bespoke cabinetry built into the alcoves and after a few Zoom consultations with kitchen companies, opted for handmade cabinetry instead of

‘During the first lockdown, our home became our office and it was important to create areas we could work from ’

MAIN BEDROOM

This page and opposite Katie and Ed’s love of mid-century-inspired design continues into the bedroom with bedside tables from West Elm and drawers from Soak & Sleep. The desk, from perfectly in the bay window