Jo Leevers

wrote ‘A Working Past’ & ‘Smoke and Mirrors’

Jo writes about interiors for leading magazines and newspaper supplements, from The World of Interiors to The Observer.

‘Books… for the words, the printing history and, with later editions, the design of the book jackets. I even love the smell of old books. And they really do furnish a room.’

When she’s buying at auction, Linda Allen’s technique is to bide her time. ‘At the point when most bidders lose interest and the room goes quiet, that’s when I perk up,’ she says. It’s an approach that has paid o , lling Linda and her husband Darin Brown’s home with atmospheric and intriguing nds.

Her latest auction buys include several vintage paintings, a wartime campaign desk and the set of replica terraco a warrior busts that are now lined up in the master bedroom (p122). ‘We had a few strange looks when we carried them home,’ she smiles.

The weathered wall cabinet in the kitchen is another vintage nd (it came out of a tailor’s shop), while the kitchen island is an old haberdashery counter, its neat compartments now used for cutlery and jars of spices. The copper sink – visible from all angles, thanks to the counter’s glass sides – was bought by Darin on a trip to Florida and the taps are vintage American.

Linda originally made her name as a footwear designer but she now

works as an artist and interior designer. ‘I’ve always been able to visualise things in 3D,’ she says. ‘Even when I was li le, I was fascinated by boxes and would stack them together to make bigger structures. I guess this at is a larger, shinier version of my childhood games.’ Linda is referring obliquely to the design centrepiece of the at: a mirror-glass cube that sits between the living room and the bedroom, acting as a room divider with a di erence.

‘We wanted it to look as if a great shiny box had dropped down from outer space,’ explains Linda. ‘We le a gap at the top and the bo om so it

appears to hover like a separate entity.’ Because it is actually a deep box rather than a wall, the mirrored doors conceal the TV and bookshelves on the living room side. On the bedroom side, there’s a utility area and an en suite, lined in yet more mirror glass. And, in both rooms, the glass re ects back Linda’s collection of interesting auction acquisitions in all their glory.

Even before their statement box was constructed, Linda and Darin were drawn towards less conventional nishes for their home. When they had the old extension at the back of the at rebuilt as a dining area, they wanted the black steel

The design centrepiece of the at is a mirror-glass cube (right) that sits between the living room and the bedroom, acting as a room divider with a di erence.

116 Homes & Antiques February 2020

The Chesterfield sofa, coffee table and overmantel mirror were bought over the years at various French antiques markets. The statement pendant is by Abigail Ahern. RIGHT A loo is concealed behind the Tardislike panelling inspired by Buckingham Palace – ‘a warren of secret doors and hidden staircases’, says Linda. The pillar and plinth are from Retrouvius.

BELOW The dark floorboards flow into the wooden decking in the garden, and Crittall-style windows add an industrial edge while enhancing the connection between interior and exterior.

RIGHT ‘I love auctions because you can find things that have fallen out of favour and then give them a whole new context,’ says Linda. The replica Chinese terracotta warrior head was bought at Criterion Auctioneers. The bespoke kitchen is painted in Hudson Black by Abigail Ahern with marble worktops.

ABOVE The tailor’s cabinet on the wall is from Retrouvius. The island is made from a vintage shop counter, which came from D&A Binder. The copper sink was bought in the US, as were the vintage taps. The kitchen is bespoke, created by the couple’s builders, Vim Partners.

RIGHT Homeowners Linda Allen and Darin Brown. February 2020 Homes & Antiques