SUNNY DELIGHT
These owners used fresh tones to bring a bright and breezy feel to their Leeds semi
Buying a new-build townhouse has proved to be a convenient and stress-free way for Sammy Patterson and her husband Matthew to get onto the property ladder. The couple met in Santorini, Greece, seven years ago, where Sammy, 30, worked as a wedding planner and Matthew, 31, was enjoying a summer of fun as a barman.
On their return to home soil, Matthew was offered a marketing job in Leeds and it wasn’t long before Sammy found a job there too as a pension income manager. However, after renting a maisonette for few years, the couple were desperate for more space. ‘Matthew was using our spare room as an office, so it wasn’t
ideal for guests, plus we really wanted a garden so we could have a dog,’ explains Sammy.
Soon after, a work colleague told Sammy about a new Strata Homes development that was just a few minutes from their office and 15 minutes from Leeds city centre. ‘Matthew grew up in Chesterfield living in new-builds but I was concerned the rooms would be too small and was keen to find an older property,’ says Sammy, originally from Cardiff. ‘However, when I saw the spacious hall and kitchen of the show home, I had to think again.’
The pair reserved a slightly larger house type off-plan, which had an extra room over the garage to give them a decent-sized guest bedroom. Since their previous rental home had been fully furnished, they had to buy everything new. ‘It was really exciting when the beds arrived on day one and sofas on day two,’ recalls Sammy. ‘Although it was a bit stressful when the delivery men suggested taking out the staircase to get the sofa into the sitting room. Luckily, my mother-in-law persuaded them to just try a bit harder!’
Sammy had more reason than most to be happy to move into the new house. Earlier that year she had been diagnosed with a rare form of bowel cancer. ‘I’m now in remission so this was a happy ending to a difficult year,’ she says.
Six months after moving in, the couple started decorating and replaced the solid internal doors with
glass designs, as well as adding wood laminate flooring in the hallway and snug. ‘We were so nervous when we put the first lick of paint on the walls,’ admits Sammy. ‘But since then, we’ve become more confident and have probably spent a month’s salary on tester pots!’
Waiting to see how they used the space was undoubtedly their best decision. ‘The show home was laid out with a dining room at the front, but we decided to use it as a snug,’ says Sammy. ‘We bought a big table for the kitchen instead because that had become our most sociable room.’
Luckily, the pair have similar tastes when it comes to interiors. ‘I like the sleek, modern look, but it’s important things don’t start to feel too clinical, which is why I fell for some of the features like the exposed brick walls and metal beams in the kitchen,’ says Sammy. ‘Although I’m a big fan of accessories, I dislike clutter so I try to only shop for things I need, rather than buying things I like and finding a place for them to live. I’m always on the lookout and take inspiration from everything from shop displays to hotels.’
The last job was to revamp the garden, adding a deck with gazebo, creating a terrace area for the barbecue and adding electric sockets for outdoor lighting. ‘ We bought lots of artificial plants and trees as real flowers don’t last now that we have our husky pup Kali,’ says Sammy. ‘Buying a new build was the perfect choice for us – we use every room but still feel we have space to grow.’