What my home means to me Molly Freshwater
Founder and designer at the Secret Linen Store, Molly, 41, lives near Dulwich in London with her partner Spencer Bygraves, 41, and their nineyear-old daughter, Mabel
WHERE I LIVE
Eight years ago we bought our two-bed flat on the ground floor of a beautiful Victorian mansion house in a quiet cul-de-sac. I was instantly drawn to the high ceilings and feeling of space. We have pretty much sole use of the large communal garden, which is perfect for Mabel. It’s also enticed me to start growing my own vegetables.
The house had mainly dark colours, so as soon as we moved in we sanded the floorboards and painted the whole place white. Gradually, moodier hues have crept back in and we’ve gone for pale grey walls in the living room and dark grey in our bedroom. They’re the ideal backdrop for our colourful, eclectic pieces.
My style is very mid-century. I like bright colour in textiles and upholstery and tend to buy classic pieces of furniture. For instance, we have an Ercol table and chairs in the kitchen, and I adore my pair of Ercol Windsor chairs in the living room, which I’ve recently had upholstered in grey herringbone fabric. Rather than shop for specific things, I tend to buy something that catches my eye. Our London office is near Crystal Palace and during my lunch break I’ll pop into the amazing five-storey antiques emporium nearby. It’s packed with interesting finds, from lampshades to side tables. Also, over the years, I’ve received wonderful gifts from my family and these are the pieces I cherish most. Our mid-century-inspired super-kingsize bed with its brand new mattress is terrific. I swap the bedlinen regularly when I want a different feel in the room and always pile it high with pillows and cushions – naturally, all from the Secret Linen Store.
MY INFLUENCES
I was lucky to grow up in a fabulous Victorian property in rural West Sussex with my three sisters. We had cats, guinea pigs, goldfish and I had a horse. When my grandparents got older we built an annexe for them next door. I’ve such fond memories of really happy times there. It was noisy, crazy and brilliant fun. My sister Harriet and I had our first taste of successfully working together back then in a cafe. She is now the Secret Linen Store’s marketing director.
My mum, Pauline was, and still is, a real trendsetter. Our house went through lots of phases as she constantly redecorated.
She gave us the freedom to decorate our bedrooms as we wanted, which was brave. I covered one whole wall in two-pence pieces and another in Marti Pellow posters!
I got my sense of an interior’s importance from Mum. She’s gone full circle in terms of her style and now lives in a mid-centuryinspired house that isn’t a million miles away from the look of our home. I’d happily move there and not change a thing.
When it comes to my designs for the Secret Linen Store, I’m genuinely inspired by everyday life and colour combinations. I also draw huge inspiration from nature and love going to art galleries and exhibitions. Agnes Martin is one of my favourite artists.
FAMILY LIFE
I really enjoy cooking and spending time in our recently updated kitchen. I’m a huge fan of chef Yotam Ottolenghi and, on a Friday evening, I like listening to Radio Four comedy while making one of his Middle Easterninfluenced dishes. The kitchen table is where Mabel does her homework.
When we all get together, it’s normally chaos! As there are 15 of us in the immediate family, the challenge is finding somewhere large enough to fit everyone in. We often end up at my sister Rosie’s home for a meal and games. It’s always loud.
I love bedtime. Nothing beats that feeling of snuggling up, ideally under fresh sheets, after a busy day. It’s my own little corner of the world where I read, or watch television, before drifting off to sleep, often dreaming of new designs.
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