From city to seaside
How one woman designed her home to evoke fond memories
Before their children came along, Lizzie Woolley, a public relations professional, and her husband, Paul, both 42, considered themselves a city couple.
‘I'd always enjoyed living in London,’ says Lizzie, ‘but once we had children, Paul and I realised our metropolitan lifestyle was no longer a good fit for our family.’ Having their children, Alfie, 12, and Matilda, 10, meant they needed more space than they could find in the city. ‘Even so, I knew it was going to take a really special house to make me pack up and leave!’ Lizzie says.
The family wanted to move to an area that still had some city buzz about it, and so the Brighton and Hove area seemed a good alternative with its busy arts scene, restaurants, good schools and that sense of community – not to mention its fabulous location by the coast. ‘For all that though, I still wasn’t too keen on moving,’ says Lizzie. ‘I remember us viewing a house in the street we now live in. I looked across the road, saw this place, which looked as though it had so much more space than we could ever have in the city, and saying to Paul, “If I’m going to leave London then it’s going to have to be for a house like that!”
‘Of course, I thought I’d be safe enough because the house wasn’t
‘The space was what mattered and that was amazing’
on the market then but, when the For Sale sign went up a few weeks later, my bluff was well and truly called!’ For all her initial reluctance, though, when the family went for a viewing, Lizzie’s first impressions were positive, even though the house was quite dated. ‘It was all very 1990s with swags and tails at the windows, stripy wallpaper and very formal,’ she says. ‘But the space was what really mattered and that was amazing – with five bedrooms we’d have two spares so there was plenty of room to grow.
‘The original plasterwork on the ceilings was still intact along with the period fireplaces and there was a beautiful,
well-established garden at the back for the kids. It was everything I wanted for the family. Most importantly, though, the sea is at the end of the road – well, if you’re going to move to the coast you might as well be able to see the sea!’
Fortunately the house didn’t need any structural work and the couple decided to live in it for a while to see what it was like as the seasons and light changed. ‘Initially, our challenge was to get rid of the chintz and create a comfortable family home more to our taste,’ says Lizzie. Before putting their furniture in, ‘we had to neutralise the stripes by painting the walls in creams and greys,’ and they replaced the carpets too: ‘We
‘Creating a unique look isn’t always about what you spend’
ripped them up and discovered that the wooden floors beneath were in really good order, so we were able to sand and paint or stain those.
‘I spent many summers in France when I was a child and fell in love with their lovely relaxed style of living we used to see in the chateau we visited – I suppose you’d call it shabby chic. I like the idea of mixing and matching painted pieces with exposed wood, sitting new-buys beside flea market finds and then mixing that with more ornate pieces,’ says Lizzie. She also brought in new lighting, and she didn’t really stick to one style: ‘We have everything from chandeliers to mid-century style Anglepoise lamps – I think they add personality,’ says Lizzie.
‘Creating a unique look in your home isn’t always about what you spend,’ she says, ‘and if I like it, I’ll buy it! I once found a glass vase in the street beside a skip that I took because I loved its shape, and the sofa in our drawing room is an old Chesterfield that was just £100. But the cost of the washed linen fabric and re-upholstery made up for that bargain!’
Lizzie and her family are more than happy they made the move. ‘It was a gamble but we’ve pulled it off,’ she says. ‘The children have settled really well, we have wonderful neighbours and that sense of community that you don’t find often in a big city. They say you should be careful what you wish for because you might get it – I think I did in the end!’