• WELSH TOWNHOUSE
Taking their cue from natural shades, Anna and George Lewis have filled their once gloomy Edwardian house with light and character
After receiving a comprehensive renovation, this once down-at-heel Edwardian property has become a study in pale perfection
Anna Lewis jokes that when she and her family first moved into this property, it was the washing machine that got to enjoy the best view of the garden. Back then, the laundry room was one of the only parts of the house with uninterrupted views outside. ‘The kitchen was split over two levels and divided by a huge chimney, while the view to the garden was obscured by a wall,’ says Anna. Today, all that has changed and Anna, her husband George and their grown-up children Tom and Ruby can look out at the rambling garden from all over the house.
The kitchen-diner now flows into two new spaces: a serene garden room and a snug that, in turn, both connect to the garden beyond. ‘Throughout the year, these spaces link us with the outdoors, but this is especially so in the summer months,’ she says.
These changes were part of a much larger-scale project that reworked the house’s entire layout and interior style. ‘We replaced or upgraded absolutely everything – we even had a new roof fitted and new drains put in under the house,’ says Anna. The property hadn’t been touched at all in around thirty years, so there was a lot to do. ‘Some traditional features had been removed, while parts of the original flooring were covered with tiles,’ she says. The resulting overall mood of the house was gloomy and the living spaces felt disconnected. ‘There was a very narrow corridor >
❝ WE REPLACED OR UPGRADED EVERYTHING FROM A NEW ROOF AT THE TOP TO NEW DRAINS UNDER THE HOUSE – AND BETWEEN!❞ EVERYTHING IN
connecting the front and back of the house and the bedrooms also felt very dark with low ceilings,’ she says.
The couple’s solution was brave and bold – they decided to restore the period features, remove some internal walls, get rid of the large fireplace and chimney in the kitchen, and add roof lanterns and glazed doors to help light flow between the rooms. Upstairs, some of the bedroom ceilings were taken out to reveal a steep roof pitch, which was then cladded with limewashed timbers for an escapist, rustic feel.
As the scaffolding went up and the builders moved in, Anna and George began to realise the full extent of the project. ‘Our biggest mistake was vastly underestimating the time frame,’ says Anna. ‘As the months slipped by, the scale of the job started to become clear.’ Luckily, the family was able to stay in their previous home in a nearby village until the work was completed, which took around a year. ‘We were also delayed by bad weather, but in the spring the builders gave it one final push so that we could finally move in at the start of summer, which was the perfect time to enjoy our new home.’
For the décor, the couple called on interior design studio Sims Hilditch to create a look for the newly light and bright spaces. ‘Once we had the bare bones of a layout, Sims Hilditch stepped in with all the details,’ says Anna. The team’s ideas for fabrics, furniture and wallcoverings hit the right note with neutrals, easy >
pastels and subtle patterns. ‘George and I both love natural tones and patterns, but have never been hugely successful in putting them together, so the interior designer’s expertise was invaluable,’ says Anna.
The house’s colour scheme is pale without being wishy-washy, with stony, chalky off-whites, such as Slipper Satin and Skimming Stone by Farrow & Ball, working as backdrops to brighter or deeper shades. These come in the form of charcoal blue cabinetry in the kitchen and upholstery and cushions in living spaces. Some patterns are surprisingly bold, but they manage to fade elegantly into the larger schemes rather than shouting for attention. ‘We love the happy mix of colours and textiles, and the combination of modern and more traditional prints,’ says Anna.
Both Anna and George grew up in country homes where family life revolved around busy, warm kitchens and their own home now follows that tradition. The seamless décor throughout the ground floor helps the kitchen-diner feel connected to the adjoining garden room and snug, but these rooms can also be closed off.
The garden was redesigned by Darren Hawkes, a gold medal winner at Chelsea Flower Show, who ensured the house’s colour scheme continued outside, too.
‘At this time of year, there’s a constant interplay of colours between the inside and outside,’ says Anna. Sims Hilditch, simshilditch.com