My Room: An Extension Gives a Period Home a Relaxed Family Space

Brooke gave the new space a monochrome base and used industrial elements, such as a concrete floor and vintage metal and wood furniture, to make the kitchen modern and functional for the whole family. There are contrasting touches, though. “It was important to warm it with reds and soften the hard edges,” she says.

Dining table; dining chairs, Quirky Interiors. Pendant light, Cream and Chrome.

Brooke designed the room’s shelving unit – which introduces display space as well as practical storage – and had a joiner make it up. “I didn’t want it to be uniform,” she says. “I like the randomness. The irregularity breaks up the space.”

The family TV area is in this part of the room, with a rug adding texture and warmth underfoot. The sofa is upholstered in soft velvet. “It may seem sumptuous, but it’s practical and easy to clean,” Brooke says.

Sofa, Sofa Workshop.

The children usually have their meals at the breakfast bar, at which Brooke has positioned vintage stools.

The work surface is made from stainless steel, with Brooke taking her cue from professional kitchens. “It’s very practical – you can put anything on it and nothing stains,” she says. The material also complements the other industrial touches in the room.

A space-efficient pocket door featuring Banksy’s “Laugh now, but one day we’ll be in charge” design leads from the cooking area to the front of the house.

Pendant lights; bar stools, The Old Cinema.

The kitchen cabinetry is Brooke’s own design, made by her builder and painted in a soft black shade to fit with the room’s monochrome palette.

Kitchen cabinetry painted in Off-Black, Farrow & Ball.

Open shelving made from stained oak was fitted on either side of the range cooker. “I like having favourite things on display and I can grab plates without having to open a door – it’s very practical,” Brooke says.

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The original rear reception room of the Victorian house has views through the kitchen-dining-living space and into the garden beyond. In contrast to the plain walls of the kitchen, a patterned wallpaper has been hung in here. “Moving through the house, there’s more colour and texture,” Brooke says.

Lotus wallpaper, Galbraith & Paul.

The rear reception room is Brooke’s workspace. Shelving was built into the alcoves and the fireplace is used for additional storage. An old family chair provides a spot for reading, and the soft furnishings are tactile and warming.

Beyond the office is the front reception room, designed to be a cosy, relaxing haven. “It’s a more sophisticated, more adult space,” Brooke says.

The walls have been painted in a teal shade. “I wanted to do something different, but I had to persuade my husband to go darker,” Brooke says. “When he saw it, he loved it.”

Once again, a mixture of old and new gives the room its welcoming ambience. The flooring is original and had been hidden under carpet before the family moved in, while the pendant light is a vintage design Brooke found many years ago.

The rug was Joel’s, and Brooke found and re-covered the two armchairs in the bay. The chest of drawers in the corner is a vintage buy, too, while the sofa is new.

Walls painted in Vardo, Farrow & Ball. Sofa, Sofa Workshop. Armchairs, Vinterior.

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Brooke sourced a midcentury cabinet on which to sit the TV. “I wanted to blend it in. The dark walls help, but by putting it on something visually beautiful, the eye isn’t drawn to the screen.”

Cabinet, Vinterior. Mirror, The Old Cinema.

Reclaimed ceiling tiles that Brooke found some time ago decorate the wall behind the sofa. “I like to mix it up a bit in terms of what goes on the walls,” she says. “I wanted to change the texture and bring in something a bit more unusual.”

Otto table lamp, Pooky; with lampshade, Samarkand Design.

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