It’s unusual for me to be so with colour. RESTRAINED I made my colleague promise to hold me back

comment that diagonal lines made a long skinny garden feel wider. ‘We cut the flooring at a 45 degree diagonal through the entire ground floor and it looks much more interesting where the wide flooring meets the herringbone in the kitchen. As long as the colours are subtle and the textures complementary, it works really well.’

The upper two floors were also reconfigured during the seven-month build, creating five bedrooms and four bathrooms. This involved turning a first-floor living room into the main bedroom suite. Many of the bedrooms feature padded panels and fabric wallcoverings. ‘Over the years I’ve developed a dislike for plain painted walls,’ says Irene.

Inspired by the client’s headboard, there are curved lines throughout. In the living room this is evident in the arched doors, sofa and balustrade, while elsewhere there are rounded bathroom mirrors and upholstered banquette

WOW MOMENT A black sculptural light works well against a textured background, while the pivot arm gives directional light for reading in bed