THE STYLE file

With a background in fashion, Chloe couldn’t wait to shift her focus to interior design, creating plenty of colourful and budget-friendly ideas for her family home

- KAREN DARLOW

Upsizing from a compact two-bedroom Victorian terrace to a spacious 1930s home with three-bedrooms, Chloe and Jim Greenwold discovered they didn't have much furniture. 'And what we did have was all on the wrong scale,' says Chloe 'We brought our two-seater sofas with us from our previous house, but they looked like dolls' house furniture in the big living room.' It was clear from day one that the family's new home called for a few changes.

The property's initial appeal for former fashion and homeware designer Chloe was partly nostalgic. 'I grew up in a typical 1930s semi, and loved it,' she says. "So this house already felt like home. It also gave us more space for our growing family, and there's a big garden with potential to extend.' By the afternoon of their first day in the house, Chloe was already making a start, sanding back the pine woodwork in the living room. There was wood everywhere; matching pine floors, doors and skirting boards, and the walls were a mix of lilac and terracotta, so it was a bit overpowering,' says Chloe. 'It was dark and claustrophobic with all the wood, and I wanted to make it airy and light in there, but also keep it warm and cosy. I was trying to create a happy space, as it felt a bit drab and unloved.'