‘FROM FRUMPY TO CHIC SCANDI’ A dated interior didn’t work in this new terrace – so Charlotte set about creating a light, soothing space
A soothing colour palette, on-trend pieces of furniture, clever buys and country views make Charlotte’s modern home a relaxing place to be at this time of year
After graduating from university, and having rented a house for 18 months in Maidstone, Kent, my husband Matt and I started to look for somewhere to buy,’ says Charlotte. ‘We found this terraced house on a small estate and although it had clearly been decorated with love, it wasn’t to our taste at all.
But the decor didn’t put us off buying the house, as it backs onto fields that you can walk straight through to a quaint Kentish village, plus there’s a nearby train station that has direct services to London, where I work as a bridal store manager.
Out with the old
There was cheap lino flooring in the kitchen and downstairs hallway, blue flowery wallpaper, cream and brown walls in the living room, dark cabinets in the kitchen and deep baby blue walls in the cloakroom.
Our first job was to strip off all the wallpaper and paint all the walls white. We also had the living room floor replaced with a grey laminate update. In the living room, I wanted the dining area to have an exposed brick element, to make it feel separate, despite it all being in the same room. We got some quotes to expose the brick, but it was expensive for a house we knew we wouldn’t be living in forever, so instead we decided on a dark grey feature wall. Over the years, we’ve gradually accessorised the living room with festoon lights, interesting shelving and a neon candleholder.
After getting married and realising we couldn’t afford to move house any
time soon, we decided to turn the kitchen into a space that didn’t feel dark and unenjoyable to cook in. We changed the floors to the same grey laminate we’d used elsewhere. I love the continuity it gives, and it makes the space feel bigger. We spray painted the units in Farrow & Ball’s Pavilion Grey, updated the sink, tap and worktops, and had the walls tiled in a herringbone design. We did have some problems with a cowboy builder, so it was a lot more stressful than it should have been, but we are really happy with the results and the finished result felt more consistent with the style of the rest of the house.
A fresh layout
Upstairs, we stripped off all the wallpaper and painted over the cream and brown decor. We changed the layouts of the rooms, which made a big difference – for example, in the guest bedroom (which doubles as a dressing room),
‘SWITCH UP YOUR STYLE TO SUIT THE MOOD OR THE TIME OF YEAR. WHEN AN IDEA POPS INTO YOUR HEAD, JUST DO IT – IT CAN ALWAYS BE CHANGED!’