Home Style: The Personal Touch

Charlotte and Kevin turned their new build property into a lovely family home that works perfectly 

A growing family is what spurred on Charlotte and Kevin to move away from busy London and into the leafy suburbs of the southeast. “We’d been living in south London until we had children, then we moved to a small, Victorian property on a busy road in Hampton. The house was pretty small and although we loved its Victorian period charm and character, on a practical level there were issues such as rickety, draughty old sash windows, and it didn’t really have a very family friendly flow,” said Charlotte. 

So, when they moved here, they had a specific wish list in mind.“We definitely wanted a new build,” explained Charlotte. “Both my husband and I work in London, and with a commute and a young family we needed a home we could move into and immediately enjoy living in. We didn’t want to waste precious time at weekends redecorating or project managing significant building works,” she recalled. 

When they met the developer of this property, they knew their search was over. “We loved the traditional yet individual style, along with the wonderful quality of the build. The developer took time selecting high quality materials and fittings for the house, and we were so pleased that he used locally sourced materials where possible,” said Charlotte. 

“The quality and design of all the bespoke joinery was really impressive and had a real impact in giving the spaces shape and meaning,” she recalled. “We particularly liked the lighting in the larder and pull-out cupboards, it definitely took us by surprise – it’s not something I’ve seen before, but it’s a very useful and practical innovation!” stated Charlotte. 

The couple decided to live in the property for six months to get a feel of the place and see how they used the space before deciding how they might decorate it. “We had ideas and inspiration from interior design magazines and also from our favourite boutique hotels, which always stimulate my creativity for style and design,” explained Charlotte. “But we quickly realised, that we needed help designing, furnishing and essentially creating the interior design of our family home.” 

This is where interior designer Emma Hooton came in. “We were delighted to find Emma and her team, who essentially designed all the schemes as we gave her free rein – all Kevin and I had to do in terms of the creative process was make the final selection from the design boards. It was amazing!” Charlotte recalled. 

One of couple’s favourite rooms is their master bedroom. “The high ceiling and the huge superking bed with the luxurious velvet headboard is just gorgeous and definitely my happy place!” said Charlotte. “I also love the bold botanical print on the armchairs, which is a nice contrast to the pastel colour palette,” she continued. 

“There is no other house like this one, and no other home for our family. We have tailored the space to match the requirements and style of our family. Although the house is a traditional style, we wanted our home to be a reflection of us, and the contemporary decor, design and furnishing I think is representative of this,” said Charlotte. 

“We love our home, it doesn’t feel like an empty, soulless new build, but a fresh and inviting space for our family to live and make memories. We could not have created a better home ourselves!” 

Photographs: Robert Sanderson/Living4media 

Words: Penny Botting/Living4media