PLAIN AND SIMPLE
Practicality was paramount for Charlotte and Leigh Bowen, but they still managed to combine clean looks with good design
An unprepossessing Sixties home in West Sussex has been given a clean, green new look
After buying an unremarkable seaside Sixties bungalow on the West Sussex coast that was in need of serious TLC, Charlotte and Leigh Bowen were confident they could turn it into a coastal home packed with style. ‘We wanted a home here as it’s a special place to us,’ says Charlotte, a design consultant who works with husband Leigh, an eco architect, at their practice, 50 Degrees North.
The couple may have had a head start in terms of design skills, but they still needed to do plenty of research, and find the right team to create a home for themselves and their children, Phoebe, 15, Nesta, 12, and Felix, 10. ‘We didn’t have a fortune to spend doing it up, but we wanted to do it properly so we didn’t rush anything.’
After buying the property in November 2015, knowing they were going to extend into the roof space to provide two extra bedrooms as well as two more bathrooms, they went through a year of planning and building before moving in almost three years ago.
Throughout the house every little detail has been carefully thought out. ‘The eco credentials of a property are very important to us, and we’ve clad the exterior in Siberian larch, which will weather well, and the roof and windows are zinc,’ explains Charlotte. ‘We’ve totally insulated the house, plus put down underfloor heating everywhere so it’s as energy efficient as possible.’
Uncomplicated design is at the core of the couple’s plans. Where possible, they have gone for ultra-simple surfaces. ‘We wanted wooden floors everywhere and
neutral wall colours for a welcoming, natural and practical feel,’ says Charlotte. ‘The upstairs bedrooms have been clad in OSB – Oriented Strand Board. It’s basically leftover bits of wood stuck together and is environmentally friendly. You just need to paint it with a fire-retardant varnish.’
The other element that received particular attention was the lighting. ‘We took on a lighting designer, Richard Voller, which may sound grand, but task, mood and general lighting makes so much difference. Everything matters, from the lights to the bulbs and the sockets.’
Despite all the wood and neutral finishes, Charlotte added bursts of colour, particularly in the bathrooms, with three vanity units in pink, blue and yellow. And she has some advice for anyone planning to paint everything white. ‘We wouldn’t advise it,’ she says. ‘For one thing, it shows up every single mark, so you’ll find you’re always touching it up. Picking softer neutral shades in highquality paint avoids that and also helps differentiate the spaces, plus it adds a feeling of warmth.’
The couple used Little Greene’s colour consultancy service to choose their paint. ‘They sit down with you and go through the whole house, asking what happens in each room and suggesting colours,’ says Charlotte.
And with the house finished and ready to enjoy for weekends and holidays, the couple have one remaining project. ‘We’ve got the annexe for my parents to tackle,’ says Charlotte. ‘I used to come here on holiday year after year with them as a child, and we want to re-create that experience for all of us – and generations to come.’