A NEW WAVE

With vintage furniture and dramatic shades, Wendy Aldridge has given her coastal apartment a fresh take on seaside style

This Kent apartment successfully references its coastal location while avoiding clichés

Looking for an interiors style that referenced their coastal setting without being too obvious, Wendy and James Aldridge went for a mix of 1970s, mid-century and contemporary designs in their new Kent property. The couple, parents to Ida, nine, Arlie, six, and Elodie, eight months, bought this basement flat three and a half years ago. They initially tried to buy in Margate but then widened their net, travelling five miles south to Ramsgate. While Margate is better known, Wendy and James soon discovered that Ramsgate also has a nice beach, interesting vintage shops and some lovely architecture – including sea-facing Victorian townhouses.

This apartment is in the basement of one of those once-grand houses, which had long since been divided into smaller flats and bedsits. It had been rented out for many years, so wasn’t in the best condition when the couple first viewed it, but it did have a large open-plan living space. ‘This meant we could immediately imagine how it would work for us as a family,’ says Wendy.

To set the tone for her cool take on vintage and mid-century style, Wendy found a large, louche 1970s sofa in sage

green velvet, which she had shipped over from Italy. ‘It’s so low-slung, you literally sink into it,’ she says. ‘I like to imagine it having had a very glamorous life before it came to us, perhaps in a fancy nightclub or a chic Milanese apartment.’

Facing it is an equally glam coffee table and a leather sofa by the Brazilian designer Percival Lafer. But Wendy was careful to avoid getting too themed. ‘I didn’t want everything to be from the same era,’ she says. ‘I like my rooms to feel less formulaic.’

Once Wendy had sourced all of the furniture, she got creative with wall colours and coverings – painting walls in split colours and papering in dazzling patterns. The fireplace in the sitting room was retiled in a white honeycomb mosaic, replacing an old 1980s faux marble surround. Tiles also form a graph-paper grid on one wall of the kitchen, where Ikea units are cleverly customised with sections of grey paint and soft leather handles. ‘Throughout the flat, I’ve kept all of the finishes very practical, because with three kids and a dog that’s the only way to be,’ says Wendy. ‘But I’ve also tried to add originality and interest at every opportunity.’

KITCHEN-DINER Wendy’s bespoke wall tapestry combines rich colours with deep texture, lifting the dark room scheme and bringing a sense of cosiness. Tapestry, price on request, Po! Paris

KITCHEN Simple Ikea units were painted in one of Wendy’s favourite colours and given new handles for a bespoke look. Units in Railings estate eggshell, £62 for 2.5L, Farrow & Ball

SITTING ROOM The 1970s sofa was found in Italy. Wendy now runs Homeplace.co.uk, which sells an eclectic range of vintage and contemporary pieces from the UK and around the world. Brass planter, £80, Homeplace

BEDROOM A strip of gold separating the two paint shades is a 21st-century take on the dado rail. Art prints, £42 each, Blanca Gomez at Homeplace

MASTER EN SUITE Repurposing old furniture is a great way to add character, like Wendy has done with this vanity. Nautical wall light, £140, Mullan Lighting