modern take
A hands- on restoration of a tired Thirties house has given Lucy Alston and David Sutton a fresh, contemporary home with cherished period touches
How one couple took on a tired Thirties detached in southeast London and brought it bang up to date
For someone brimming with creative vision, Lucy Alston hit a stumbling block when she first viewed this southeast London house with her partner, David Sutton. While David could immediately see the potential of this detached Thirties home, for Lucy, a fashion stylist and lifestyle blogger (Instagram @thestylesponge_), its charms were less obvious.
‘I’ve always thought of Thirties houses as granny-ish,’ she says. ‘That wasn’t helped by the decor, with its fussy floral wallpapers, curtains and carpets.’ But David was sure that the light-filled, well-proportioned rooms would be right for the couple and their then one-year-old daughter, Clemence.
So in 2013, the pair moved in and work started straight away, with the family living on site. ‘I wouldn’t do that again; it’s not healthy being around all that dust,’ says Lucy. They began at the front of the house and worked backwards, going down to the foundations, replumbing, rewiring, replastering and laying a parquet floor throughout. David played a huge role in the renovations, from sourcing materials and bringing trusted builders from his home town in the West Midlands, to doing much of the labouring himself. ‘David has worked so hard, even though he nearly lost a finger fitting the floor!’ says Lucy. And the couple make a great team. ‘I’m the creative one but David is practical, so it’s thanks to him we have a layout that’s both functional and stylish,’ says Lucy.
Despite Lucy’s initial reservations about Thirties houses, the couple have tried to stay true to the spirit of the building,
while giving it a fresh, contemporary feel. The hall, sitting room and main bedroom all feature original doors, fireplaces and stair spindles. At the rear, the couple have incorporated a modern ‘glass box’ extension onto what was a kitchen, dining room and pantry. This has given them a generous kitchendining-living space, as well as a utility room and a downstairs shower room. They did the work without an architect, creating the plans with their builder. ‘It seemed the best option for our budget, but David had all the stress of measuring and checking – it nearly killed him!’ says Lucy.
In the kitchen, Lucy wanted a look that was both modern and warm, ‘with a seamless, unfussy feel’, so she combined realistic ‘ faux’ wood with matt white quartz worktops and splashbacks. ‘We wanted marble, but everyone warned us off it because staining is such an issue,’ she says.
A lifelong colour obsessive, Lucy swears by the transformative power of paint. ‘ When you’re spending a lot on a sofa, you have to play it safe, but paint is one area where you can experiment,’ she says. Lucy also likes to layer colour and texture, using cushions and throws. ‘I’m influenced by modern Scandinavian style but I also enjoy glamorous Italian maximalism,’ she says. ‘It inspired all our round mirrors. In a square room, I find that curves bring softness to the space.’
The couple are delighted with the transformation they have made to their home. ‘It’s been wonderful to see the results of the changes we’ve made,’ reflects Lucy. ‘Our mood is lifted as soon as we walk through the front door.’