TAKING THE LONG VIEW
A determination to wait for a house with the right potential paid off for Imogen Parson when she found a jaded 1950s terrace
One homeowner’s desire to find a home she’d never want to leave was fulfilled by an ex-council house in London with plenty of potential
Even though Imogen Parson, who runs online accessories and giftware business The Imoporium, and her son Elliott, who is six, were outgrowing their one-bedroom flat, she wasn’t in a rush to buy somewhere new. ‘I wanted to find a home where Elliott could grow up and where I would never want to leave,’ she explains. ‘I wanted a garden and a spare room for friends and family to stay. My dream home was a country cottage in the city, so I was looking at Victorian houses, but the ones that were being sold in this area exceeded my budget.’
With this image in mind, Imogen was sceptical when an estate agent phoned to say a 1950s ex-council house had come on the market within her budget and in her desired area. But being curious, she decided to view it. ‘On first impressions, I didn’t think that the house was for me,’ she admits, ‘but then I noticed the rooms were larger than most Victorian houses and it had huge potential.’
Although the decor wasn’t to Imogen’s taste, the property was in a good condition. ‘When we moved in, my family helped
redecorate and I was able to put my own mark on the place,’ she says. ‘I love colour, so I have added bursts throughout the house, including bright linens and cushions, and a fabulous red bus bed in Elliott’s room.’
Imogen replaced the tired gas fire in the sitting room with a woodburning stove, and added white plantation shutters. ‘I don’t love the windows, but they’re double-glazed so I couldn’t justify replacing them,’ she says. ‘I like the way shutters help disguise them when I’m inside the house.’
A year after moving in, Imogen decided that she and Elliott would benefit from a larger living area. ‘The upstairs was fine, but downstairs only had one reception room and a small kitchen, so I wanted more space to entertain and for Elliott to play.’
Now familiar with the house, Imogen knew how she wanted her new living area to work and where the light fell. This gave her the confidence to design the extension herself. ‘I was the project manager and the interior designer,’ she says with pride. ‘I worked out the layout, chose a sloped roof with Velux windows to maximise the light
and included an exposed brickwork wall and a little side window – quirky details that help the house feel irregular and cottage-like.’
Imogen got a structural engineer to specify the construction details and the extension took shape. When it came to the kitchen, she was after a high-end look on a budget. ‘I wanted a Shaker-style kitchen with an island,’ says Imogen. ‘My dream one was from DEVOL, but my budget didn’t run to that, so I began looking for cheaper alternatives, without scrimping on quality.’
Imogen found that The Shaker Kitchen Company did a similar, but more affordable kitchen and she kept costs down further by sourcing the worktops and appliances herself. ‘I love the living space now and it’s exactly how I pictured it would be,’ she says. ‘The kitchen area feels cottagey, but the dining and living space with its exposed brickwork is more industrial chic, yet they complement one another brilliantly.’
Having been patient enough to wait for the right house has more than paid off for Imogen. And just as she’d hoped, she can’t see herself ever living anywhere else.
favourite room ‘The kitchen-diner. It’s where I hang out with my son, entertain friends and family and enjoy time to myself’