It’s like falling in love.
Sometimes the feeling hits you and shouts: ‘I’m the one!’ Sometimes, it creeps up on you bit by bit. And for Niki and Kenton Jones, buying this house was definitely the latter. ‘When we first looked around, the house was dark, damp and cold,’ says Niki. ‘In fact, it felt uncomfortable to be in. But I took a picture of Kenton in the sitting room and he seemed so tiny because of the space. Later on, I remember thinking that maybe this was actually a really impressive house. It had started to grow on us.’
The couple had been living in London, with Amber, then five, and Jake, three, when Niki was offered a new job in a large town in Kent, 50 miles from the capital. ‘It was the catalyst for a lifestyle change,’ she says. ‘A great new job, good schools for the children and an exciting new place to live, not too far from the city.’
They sold up and rented for a nerve-racking 12 months, missing out on potential gems before finally settling on their slow-burn-love of a new home. Once finally in, Niki and Kenton embarked on nearly two years of building work. ‘We decided to live through it, rather than move out, so the whole process was extended, as we camped out around the house,’ she says. ‘Although there were moments – such as us having to cook with a makeshift hob attached to a work bench and wash up in the downstairs loo – overall it was a good move. It meant we were on site for every decision.’
The couple enlisted the help of architecture and interior design practice The Vawdrey House. ‘Our brief was to extend out the back and open up the space, which although grand architecturally speaking, was oddly cramped,’ says Niki. The flow between rooms was improved and the whole house was renovated from the roof to the once-damp cellar. ‘Jenny and Graeme, who own the practice, did all the structural stuff and came up with overall schemes, so that I could go shopping and choose the fittings I liked,’ says Niki. ‘And they were a brilliant sounding board.'
The result is spectacular: a light, bright, spacious home that’s also warm and welcoming, and delights with unexpected surprises, such as a hidden door to the cellar and a home office tucked behind a sliding door to the kitchen-diner. Best of all, though, has to be the impressive snug-cum-bar area (actually the very large hall) that makes the ideal spot for drinks with friends or a comfy hideaway for the kids.
Niki threw herself in to choosing colours and furnishings, spending hours on Pinterest and shopping around for interesting pieces. ‘I remember reading about a fashion designer who said: “If you can’t have fun with your clothes, what can you have fun with?” And I had this epiphany – your house is the ultimate expression of who you are and so I thought, “If you can’t have fun with your house, what can you have fun with?”’
She got braver with colour the more she experimented and went for broke with dark shades, especially in the snug and master bedroom, which make the rooms cosy and allow pops of pink and lemon to stand out. Re-using the larger pieces of furniture from their old house, she added an eclectic selection of lighting, rugs, art and accessories. It all works beautifully in the period rooms, which add their own character in the form of original floorboards, sash windows and deep cornices.
While the end result is a kind of quirky, luxe glamour, it was by no means jaw-droppingly pricey – Niki’s a savvy shopper and high-street bargains mingle with ends of lines and sale items, not to mention the odd family hand-me-down or house-clearance find.
And now that the dust has (literally) settled, are Niki and Kenton still feeling the love for their home? ‘The house is stunning and we enjoy it so much,’ she says. ‘When I come through the front door, I feel excited every time. I’m a creative person and this is the best thing I’ve ever created.’
Learn more about The Vawdrey House at thevawdreyhouse.com