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This London terrace celebrates the best of British craftsmanship

In a small flat and planning a family, Katharine Le Hardy, a contemporary landscape artist, and Guy Phillips, a financier, began to look in their local south London neighbourhood for a home in 2012. They were concerned that if they didn’t upsize soon, they’d be priced out of the area.

A 1930s house with generous proportions and a good-sized garden caught their eye. To Katharine’s mind, the home was a blank canvas and she could see it had the potential to extend. ‘We were going to undertake a kitchen extension first, but, rather than have all the upheaval twice, we decided to do the loft at the same time,’ she says.

With the arrival of their first child Theo, now two, and baby Alice on the way, the work went ahead and involved extending the kitchen, installing a master bedroom and en suite in the loft, and knocking through a

shower room and separate cloakroom to form one large family bathroom.

The kitchen extension was a huge success – introducing more natural light into the home and creating a space where the children can play while their parents cook. ‘It is really a fully functioning room for all of us,’ says Katharine.

With the bare bones of her home in place, Katharine’s passion for supporting British designer-makers came to the fore, along with her uncanny knack for making a deal. As an artist with a strong following, she negotiated discounts with tradesmen in exchange for her paintings. And her network of artist friends was crucial in decorating the house; Katharine traded her work with other artists, lining the walls to create a gallery aesthetic. Her own large and colourful canvases, depicting tropical scenes, add drama in the kitchen and tie in with the palm-print wallpaper in the loft bedroom.

Trips to antiques markets and forays on ebay unearthed mid-century pieces to decorate the house. In the children’s bedrooms, Katharine has paired modern design with vintage to great effect by reupholstering a chair belonging to her grandmother, upcycling old chests of drawers and adding decals to the walls.

‘It’s important to me that the objects in my home are beautifully made,’ says Katharine. With each piece carefully chosen, the couple have created a home that is awash with style, celebrates British craftsmanship and is a showcase for art.

inspiring home truths the Property 1930s terraced house Location South london Rooms hall, drawing room, sitting room, kitchen-diner, cloakroom, four bedrooms (one en suite), bathroom Purchased 2012 Previous Property ‘We lived in a flat just a few...

MASTER BEDROOM Simple mid-century modern pieces team with vibrant botanical wallpaper (above). Northerly blanket, £365, Eleanor Pritchard. Walls painted in Dimpse estate emulsion, £ 43.50 per 2.5 litres, Farrow & Ball Favourite item ‘The vintage-style...