‘i wanted a wreck,

but my husband Nat was a bit, “Erm, no thanks”,’ says Suszi Sanders, who is pleased as punch to be giving a tour of the once-dowdy Victorian house she’s transformed into a thoroughly 21st-century home. ‘He was worried it would be hellish to live in while doing it up. And he had a point. So what we got instead was something cosmetically bland, with holes in the walls and a gross, studenty kitchen. Not quite a wreck, but still with plenty for me to do!’

The couple and their toddler son, Teddy, had moved from a cramped flat in nearby Lewisham to this double-fronted terrace, where tidy streets, a residents’ association and back and front gardens are the order of the day.

The house was wide, but not deep. However, there was room to push out into the garden, so with the help of Minifie Architects, the pair knocked two reception rooms and a galley kitchen into one big living space, incorporating tall, steel and glass doors to the hall, and built a rear extension to house a new kitchen, dining and family area. Upstairs remains truer to the property’s Victorian roots, with the only structural change being to subsume a small fourth bedroom into a tiny bathroom to create a luxurious wash space.

With an all-dark background, punctuated with pops of jewel colours, Suszi has developed a modern classic look with added drama. A soft-industrial vibe sees scaffold boards juxtaposed with exposed copper pipes, screed flooring with concrete surfaces and, everywhere, an abundance of green and leafy foliage. There’s an impressive clarity of vision and a genuine bravery in the decor. ‘That’s gratifying to hear,’ says Suszi. ‘I didn’t used to be into interiors at all. I used to be very boring and magnolia in my choices.’

Her epiphany came about when she stumbled across the work of interior decorator Abigail Ahern. ‘I fell in love with the boldness of her style,’ says Suszi. A quick Instagram trawl later and she had found similar, like-minded, inky-hue advocates. ‘Our stuff looks so much more impressive against the dark colours,’ she says.

Suszi became a vegan two years ago, a decision that informs every purchase she makes. ‘It means no silk, no leather, no wool, so I had to get rid of things, or redo them, as I did with our vintage leather chairs, which I had reupholstered with velvet,’ she says. Now foam replaces feathers in her sofas, the rugs are cotton and the paint, ‘thank you Farrow & Ball and Little Greene’, is all vegan. ‘Veganism has meant a change of lifestyle and it’s been a steep learning curve, doing up a house with a completely new mindset,’ she says.

Always on the lookout for fabulous, pre-loved pieces, Suszi scours local reclamation yards and ebay is her friend when it comes to pieces to upcycle. ‘It’s a bit of an obsession!’ she admits. ‘I was so excited when I first browsed other people’s dark and moody Instagram posts. And now, people seem to be loving my Instagram posts!’ Who says a leopard can’t change her spots?

Dining Area

One end of the kitchen-diner is devoted to a cosy seating area, complete with plush velvet sofa and eye-catching cushions, that’s perfect for the family to relax in after mealtimes.

Get the look The

Doze sofa is by Graham and Green. The convex mirror is by Reflecting Design. The pom-pom cushion is by Monsoon.

Living Area

Suszi ‘veganised’ her sofas and armchairs by having them filled with foam instead of feathers and covered in animalfriendly fabrics rather than leather.

Get the look The Alfred sofa is by Sweetpea & Willow. The spider pendant is by Dwell. The walls and ceiling are painted in Black Blue estate emulsion by Farrow & Ball.

landing

Blanket coverage with a single paint colour makes a bold design statement. Suszi uses faux flowers, which she can change with the seasons, to both relieve and enhance the dark and moody colour schemes. Get the look

The flowers and vase are by Abigail Ahern. The vintage stool and Deco mirror are both from ebay.

Cloakroom

A profusion of exotic palms adorns the walls – a fun, unexpected contrast to the dark block colours that are used elsewhere. Get the look

This is Babylon wallpaper by House of Hackney. The Tala marble shelf is by Graham and Green. The mirror is from Crystal Palace Antiques. The micro basin is by Silverdale.

living area

A mix of flooring, including antique parquet, modern screed and traditional tiles, coexists happily with architectural elements, such as the steel and glass doors. Get the look

The vintage bar cart is from ebay. The parquet floor is from AJ Rogers & Sons. The mirror is from Marc Kitchen-smith.