Minty fresh

Above The entire ground floor has been opened up to create a more contemporary layout. a one-off sample table by James Burleigh, with green formica top, is a striking centrepiece teamed with fibre-glass chairs found on Ebay. The eyecatching suspended light over the table is by Modiss and her husband Bruce were living in a loft-style apartment in Battersea

their daughter Else when they decided to make the move out of London. The Kent town of Tenterden was their location of choice thanks to its proximity to the capital – a must for Bruce’s job. ‘Originally we were going to buy my parents’ house there, as they were planning to retire to Greece,’ says Siggi. ‘But converting their period property into a contemporary home was too big a job for us.’

The couple looked for their own property within walking distance of the town centre. When they first saw their current home, it had a dark, dated interior. ‘The beauty of this property is that it’s a relatively modern build to a good standard,’ Siggi explains. ‘I could see that opening up the downstairs and reconfiguring the original rooms would work, so I started drawing up plans as soon as we decided to buy.’

Siggi spent three months nailing down every detail to avoid unexpected costs. Even the lighting layouts were completed before the sale had gone through. ‘Often people leave this for the builders and you can end up with switches in the way of shelving units,’ Siggi says. ‘These sorts of things can destroy a carefully thought-out design.’

Work on the house started in August 2010 but the family didn’t move in straight away, choosing to stay with Siggi’s parents nearby. The biggest part of the project was the kitchen extension, and Siggi had strong views on how ➤