FOREVER HOME
WHAT WAS THE PROJECT?
A full home renovation for my parents, who moved from Berkshire down to Strete in the South Hams in 2022.
In 2022, my parents uprooted their lives from Berkshire, where they had raised me and my brother for 30 years. With both of us moving out, and their long-held dream of living by the sea calling louder and louder, they finally decided it was time. My dad retired fully, and my mum brought her Thai Yoga Massage business with her to Devon.
They explored everywhere: North Devon, Dartmoor, even Somerset, but the moment they reached the South Hams, they knew. They rented a house in Stoke Fleming for a year before finding the house I renovated with them. Tucked in a quiet cul-de-sac in Strete, overlooking the sea, it instantly felt like home. It was a deliberate downsize from their family house: something cosy enough for just the two of them, but still flexible for hosting family. A house with potential, but not a full-blown ‘rip it all out’ renovation.
For me, it was a dream brief. A blank canvas and a portfolio project all at once - my first real, physical transformation after studying with the Interior Design Institute. Time to take everything I’d learned and put it into practice. And so, the fun began.
LIVING IN THE SPACE FIRST
My parents took the approach I always recommend: they moved in, settled, and aside from painting everything white, did nothing for almost a year. As unglamorous as that sounds, it’s incredibly valuable. You get to learn:
where natural light falls throughout the day
how you naturally move through the rooms
which colours suit the lighting
which layouts actually flow
what you truly need (and what you don’t)
and you avoid making expensive, rushed decisions
Once they’d lived with the house long enough to understand it, we started shaping it into something that felt like “them.”
LAYOUT
Initially, they brought in an Architect because they were considering structural work. The plans included a big open-plan kitchen-diner moved to the other side of the house, major changes upstairs, and a major price tag. More importantly, it didn’t feel like my parents. They’d just downsized; recreating the scale of their old family home wasn’t the point.
So we stripped it right back.
My parents love having a separate living room for the evenings, so we embraced that. We added a wall to divide a large, awkward L-shaped room into two purposeful spaces, keeping the living room cosy. We kept the kitchen where it was, removed an archway, and immediately the space felt brighter and better connected.
THE “DIY” MAGIC - A TRUE FAMILY PROJECT
Almost everything you see in the photos, my parents did themselves. Truly. They painted the entire house, remodelled the stairs, up-cycled furniture into shelves and wardrobes etc, lined a ceiling in coastal shiplap panelling, rehung doors…the list goes on.
Of course, DIY isn’t for everyone, and being retired gave them the time. But it saved a lot of money and let them be creative, which they loved.
THE KITCHEN ISLAND
When I first designed the kitchen, I put a 1m x 1m island in the plan. My parents didn’t believe it would work in such a small space and suggested a little corner table instead. But they wanted alternative seating, and because the remaining living space was on the other side of the house, I felt an island with raised seating would create the perfect spot for casual meals and low-key entertaining.
And yes, it fits. Perfectly. This isn’t a ‘told you so’ moment, but a real reason why Interior Designers can be valuable. They are there to see the things you can’t see, and show you the reasons why they work.
INTERESTING DETAILS
As this was a portfolio project, I wanted certain details to really stand out. But because it was also my parents’ forever home, everything still needed to be timeless and liveable.
That’s why in the yoga studio downstairs and the spare bedroom, we went for bolder colours, but only on elements like the skirting and door frames. It’s a great way to bring a colour you love into a space in a subtle, considered way.
MAKING A HOUSE FEEL BRIGHTER (WITHOUT THE HELP OF THE NATURAL LIGHT)
We only made two structural changes that really affected the natural light:
doubling the kitchen doors
replacing the front and porch doors with glass
Everything else was achieved through design alone:
Choosing colours that worked with the home’s orientation
Using warm tones and textures (dark doesn’t have to mean cold!)
Layering ambient, task and accent lighting
Installing a light wooden floor downstairs and a light carpet upstairs
Using mirrors to bounce light and expand the rooms (with feng shui in mind)
Keeping styling simple and finishes minimal
Big note: Going white does not automatically make a room light.
WE DIDN’T STOP AT THE INTERIOR
Outside, I wanted the home to feel as fresh and cohesive as the inside. We replaced the original magnolia exterior with a lighter, brighter neutral with a subtle green-grey base. The mahogany windows were painted a soft sage to complement it. We also updated the front and porch doors, swapped dark guttering and the porch canopy for lighter finishes, and added a contemporary outdoor light and an upcycled wooden post box. You got a sense of the home before even walking into it.
STILL TO COME…
Right now, the main bathroom is being installed, and I’m designing the ensuite and master bedroom next. And then… the house will finally be complete! I’m not sure what my parents will do with themselves afterwards - they’ll certainly have some free time on their hands.
AFTER PHOTOS
