INSIDE STORY

Who lives here?

Christine, who works in marketing; her husband Michael, a CEO; their children; Sophie, 23, Kate, 21, and Jack,

18; plus Dolly, their labradoodle.

What sparked the timing of the renovation? Christine: “My husband sold his share of his business and was going to have some time off, which was fantastic. It meant we got to enjoy the whole experience.”

Did you get rid of all your old furniture and start from scratch?

“In the living areas especially, everything was new. I’d waited for 10 years and for 10 years I had dreamed about this. It was actually really cathartic throwing everything out.”

POWDER ROOM

A small space need not be boring and a powder room is the perfect excuse to let creativity and a sense of fun rule. Rather than opting for understated and minimalist, the couple went playful with a bee wallpaper in the bathroom (above). “Our designer gave us this website, Timorous Beasties,” says Christine. “One night, we sat and had a bottle of wine and we picked the ‘Napoleon Bees’. I was so nervous about it, but I love it – it’s fun.”