A SPECIAL BLEND
A cool Scandi vibe has been livened up with personal pieces gathered over time in this family home
‘Most of the houses we looked at were like upside down pyramids,’ says Lewis Taylor, ‘with a small ground floor and lots of space upstairs, but we wanted a large living area.’ So when this 1930s house came on the market with its side and back extensions, he and his wife Shohreh jumped at the chance to buy it. Although more expensive than they’d hoped, it ticked most of their boxes, being close to friends, not too far from town and near local schools.
They loved the bones of the house, plus the large garden, but, as Lewis recalls, it was all a bit of a mish-mash of old and new. ‘It felt like a house of two halves. The original part had good proportions and was traditionally decorated, and the back part was modern and open plan.’ A refurbishment was called for, but before starting, they set a budget with the aim of only splashing out on investment pieces when they felt it was really worth it.
One of the main problems was that the floors were at different levels, so the house felt disjointed. To remedy this, they levelled the floors throughout and laid good-quality hardwood planks from Havwoods – their largest investment by far. ‘It was a big job but has created a seamless flow from one space to the next.’ The couple extended that flow into the garden and raised the patio and deck to create an uninterrupted transition between inside and out.
Everything else Lewis and Shohreh undertook was cosmetic. Fortunately, they
‘The HOUSE had to provide something for ALL OF US’
have similar views on what makes a family home. ‘We both had strong ideas about how we wanted it to look,’ says Lewis. ‘Our approach was to create a Scandi aesthetic and add richness with colour. But we also knew the house needed to be hardworking and provide something for all of us – a space for the boys to play and home school, and a place where we could work.’
Lewis and Shohreh have collected various decorative items from their travels around the world: ‘A slow accumulation of objects that mean something to you personally really makes a home feel homely,’ says Lewis. ‘Most of our pieces of furniture and accessories have a story behind them – the artwork, for instance, came from exhibitions and places we’ve visited together.’
The couple are also avid collectors of vintage items. They bought the fireplace and Ercol dining table on Ebay, and they also like to pick out treasures from their friends’ shops ,1 st dibs and Everything but the dog.
The 1960s green chair in the living room is from Facebook Marketplace and they had it recovered for just £20. Shohreh also loves houseplants and gets them from Facebook Marketplace and New Covent Garden Market.
Throughout the renovation the couple took time to consider the details – they chose good-quality kitchen taps, replaced radiators and moved plug sockets and light switches – and are pleased with the results. They’re also happy with the lighting throughout. ‘I learnt in my job how dramatically lighting can alter the mood and feeling in a space,’ says Lewis, and now a mix of standard lamps, bedside lights and downlighters create atmosphere.
However, it’s the open-plan family room that has become the heart of the home. Storage is a big win here, not only for the couple but also for the boys, where floor-toceiling cupboards hide their toys. ‘It’s always nice to clear things away at the end of the day,’ says Lewis. ‘The layout works brilliantly and now everyone has their own space.’