Our scheme is pared-back cool

Sarah Crawley’s renovated Edwardian townhouse is the essence of casual and sophisticated style, and full of ideas for the taking

Sarah’s home is the essence of casual and sophisticated style

‘Don’t buy mega expensive things that are on-trend now, but that you might not always love’

My story…

Phil and I had just recently got engaged and were planning to move back to our hometown of Leeds when we saw this house. It was within walking distance from parks and the city centre, and we got a good feeling about it from the moment we walked in. We loved that it had potential and we knew we could put our own signature on it. I’d de nitely recommend going with your gut feeling when looking for your future home. We had seen so many places that just didn’t feel right and I’m glad we didn’t rush into anything.

The rst thing we did was to change the magnolia walls and carpets to a more muted palette, and we also recon gured the loft room to create a larger en suite bathroom and master bedroom. We left the kitchen area as we wanted to live in the house for a while before making the big changes to make sure we got them right.

We spent six months drawing up plans and a further year getting the permissions that we needed. The building work to create the new open-plan kitchen-diner, utility area and garages took another six months. We mostly went for neutral colours, but then there are some really strong shades throughout the scheme too.

For inspiration, I looked to Pinterest and magazines, and also developed a bit of an addiction to Instagram! Through doing this project I’ve de nitely developed a love for interiors and, left to my own devices and with an unlimited budget, I’d probably start refreshing all the rooms. We do love the house and are so happy here, but in the future our dream would be to buy a piece of land and build from scratch. Even though it’s completely di erent from this, a minimal barn conversion in the countryside would be the ultimate project for us!

‘The kitchen is my favourite room in the house. I love the high ceiling and the space it gives, and think the Lee Broom lights really bring this height to life’

Positioned just o the kitchen, the Pudding sofa in Selvedge Blue from Loaf provides a cosy spot to sit. Artwork by local design company, Lane by Post, and a selection of cushions from H&M Home, Zara Home and Tori Murphy make the spot feel instantly homely

A row of skylights ood the kitchen with natural light, to make the space bright. Sarah ensures the sleek style remains homely by displaying family photographs in the open cabinetry. Wooden stools and a feature clock add a contemporary country feel

The Kettler Elba garden picnic dining table and chairs from John Lewis & Partners add a farmhouse feel to the kitchen. The built-in cabinetry was made by local rm Steve Hills Design and has been painted in Farrow & Ball Railings

The co ee table and armchairs are from a now-defunct interiors store called Nash Interiors, but for similar accent armchairs you could try the Kubrick wing back design from Made.com. The Strata rug from Cox & Cox adds warmth to the wooden oors, while the curtains, in Forenza Blackberry cotton velvet by Romo, bring a pop of colour