Our terrace with a twist

Moving to a large but neglected property gave this creative couple the chance to explore their ideas...

How a blank canvas became beautiful

‘The house had the potential to be a great family home’

With exposed copper pipes, worktops made from flakeboard, an industrial-style kitchen and surprising shots of bold pattern, Alienor and Simon Falconer’s three-bedroom terrace in Brighton has plenty of inspiring corners.

Alienor, creative director of the childrenswear brand The Bright Company, and her husband, Simon, a marketing consultant, have experience of refurbishing properties and were

prepared for the challenge. ‘This is the fourth house we’ve renovated together, and by now we know whether we’ll like each other’s ideas,’ says Alienor. ‘You could call our style industrial-meetsscandi, as it has just the right amount of rawness and comfort.’

The family moved to the coast from London a few years ago. ‘We wanted to be by the sea so that our two children, Corwin and Effie, could enjoy the freedom and clean air. Simon had grown up by the coast and I’d been living in London since my uni days, so I felt that our new home needed to be in an interesting town, so that it wasn’t too much of a culture shock,’ says Alienor.

But the three-storey Edwardian terraced property that grabbed their attention wasn’t quite as

ideal as its location. ‘Our London home was a Victorian terrace and had a very conventional layout,’ says Alienor. ‘This place, like many in Brighton, was far from regular, but we could see how we could make it work. The property had been let out as rooms. We could see that the downstairs had to become one kitchenliving space leading on to the garden, which was one of the biggest we saw during our viewings. The house sits on a hill, so while keeping a bedroom at the front was unusual, it meant we could have a sitting room at the back, making the most of the fabulous views over the town.’

Corwin was two-and-a-half when the family moved, and Effie just three months. ‘It was stressful at first, but once the carpets were up and the original floorboards sanded, everything became a little more manageable,’ says Alienor. ‘We didn’t have any regrets; we knew the potential was there to make this into a great family home.’

The couple moved out for three months during the building work, renting a

‘The look isn’t highly polished, so it was quite cheap to achieve’

house nearby. ‘It was great being so close as we could pop back and make key decisions quickly,’ says Alienor.

The builders re-wired, re-plumbed and put a new roof on the house. They also knocked the basement space into one. ‘We did have to convince them that we wanted to keep some things raw,’ says Alienor. ‘They really weren’t sure about our copper pipework idea for the bathroom and were concerned about the quality of their soldering, but once I explained that it added to the rawness, they came round to our way of thinking, even suggesting the mirrored bath panel in the bathroom, which we love!’

Alienor turned to her builders again when she couldn’t find the kitchen she wanted. ‘I was after something really flat, with holes for handles. We’d had a white gloss handleless kitchen in our old home and I wanted something really different. So the builder asked his carpenter to make the kitchen units.’

Alienor decided to paint the units herself after receiving a quote for £1,500 from a spray painter. ‘I set up a painting station in the sitting room and did them all for about £50,’ she says.

For the worktops, the couple wanted flakeboard or OSB, having seen it on Pinterest. ‘It just had the right industrial feel,’ says Alienor. ‘I also love how it’s made from recycled wood.’

Luckily, their twist on Scandi-industrial style has meant that the couple haven’t had to compromise, because lots of the materials were inexpensive and their choice of furniture meant things were easily found on ebay and in charity shops. ‘We weren’t going for a highly polished look,’ says Alienor, ‘so it was all quite cheap to achieve.’ It did, however, take a lot of work. Would the family want to do it all again?

‘In a heartbeat,’ says Alienor.

SOFA, SO GOOD! The corner sofa from Love Your Home was custom made to fit in the corner of the sitting room. The framed prints are by Pax & Hart and Yourtype.

OPEN-PLAN LIVING The couple knocked through two rooms to create the kitchen. The flooring is engineered oak, the table and chairs are ebay finds, while the children love writing on the blackboard pillar (above right).

THE HOLE PICTURE The base units are simple in style, with just holes for handles. The walls have shelves, rather than cupboards, so are perfect for displaying family photos.

UNUSUAL WORKTOPS Alienor and Simon had to convince the builders to fit OSB worktops. ‘I love the texture, and that they are made from recycled waste material,’ says Alienor.

AND RELAX... The couple’s calming bedroom features a map from Junkfunk and a blanket bought for £6 in a charity shop. The cushion covers are from Ikea, while Urban Cottage Industries provided the components for the light fitting.

SUITE DREAMS The en suite’s patterned tiles are from Tiles Tiles Tiles in nearby Portslade. The dressing table was passed down by Alienor’s great-grandparents.

ON REFLECTION The mirrored bath panel enhances the patterned tiles from Original Style. The OSB vanity unit and exposed pipework create an industrial feel.

BUNK ROCK! Alienor added the slats and teepee structure to Ikea’s Kura bed to make it into bunks for Corwin and Effie (above). The bed linen is from The Bright Company. The feature wall is painted in Railings from Farrow & Ball.