The long game
Taking their time paid off for Katy Wilson and Paul Smith when they set about turning this 1930s house into a family home with longevity
The search for a long-term family home wasn’t straightforward for Katy and Paul. ‘We decided to rent while house hunting back in 2012, but little did we know we’d be there for nearly three years,’ recalls Katy. ‘Several properties fell through during this time and, because we were looking for somewhere we could add value to and that was in a great location, our wish list was fairly comprehensive.’
By chance, the couple took a walk around the attractive Darley Abbey area of Derby and stumbled across this detached 1930s property. ‘It was empty and completely run down, but something about it caught our attention,’ says Katy. ‘A year later, it popped up online and we couldn’t believe our luck! We put an offer in and the keys were ours three months later.’
The property came with planning permission for an extension. ‘The house was liveable when we moved in, so we decided to save up for a few years for the renovation and discover what we really wanted from the house.’ They altered the plans and permission took a while to be granted. ‘Thankfully, they welcomed the two-storey side and single-storey rear extension, with the addition of an attic room and new exterior.’
The work got underway in November 2018, with the rooms stripped back to the brickwork. ‘The architect’s brief was to create a family space downstairs, with elements of open-plan living and individual spaces as well,’ explains Katy. ‘The kitchen was a huge priority for us, as we spend so much of our time here. And the snug has become our day-to-day chill out area.’
Katy’s flair for mixing traditional and contemporary design shines through her home; she uses Instagram to gather inspiration (@placefortyeight). ‘Although the renovation was stressful and we were sick of the dust, it has given us the longevity we were looking for and a space that works for the family, now and in the future.’
“I like to combine traditional elements with contemporary design ” to build up character in each room
‘We use this room at the front as a more formal space and have grouped the furniture around the fireplace for a sociable layout. It’s an electric stove and gives off a cosy glow in the evenings, with zero maintenance.’
BUY THE KEY PIECES
Poirot chairs in Chintz Greenery, £1,440 each; Hastings ottoman in Cream linen blend, £670; Holmes medium sofa in Fir cotton velvet, £1,470, all Arlo & Jacob. Gazco Huntington 30 electric stove in Matt Black, £834.95, Stovesareus. Fend prismatic wall light, £136, Mullan Lighting
“Spend time choosing the team for your project; before starting, we saw three architects and five builders ”
“The project saw the whole house stripped back so we could start from scratch and tackle not only the extension, but the wiring and new plumbing work, too”
WHAT I’VE LEARNED “Having patience with decorating pays off in the long run. As tempting as it is to rush into the painting, we learnt the importance of mist-coating newly plastered walls and waiting for the cracks to settle before diving in”