Home COMFORTS

A home that speaks to a colour palette of neutrals, charcoal and warm gold with a hint of Italian — gave Gloria Gambini the calm, familiar feeling she craved

- JANE CRITTENDEN

After growing up in Italy's Umbrian countryside, Gloria Gambini craved green space and was always keeping an eye out for a house in the right location with her husband, Stuart Ellerby, and their children, Sebastian, six, and Lewis, four. With a dual interest in house renovation - Gloria is an interior designer and Stuart is a director at MoreSpace, a residential construction company - they were also keen to find a house that needed work.

'We moved when I was pregnant with our eldest and Gerrards Cross was the perfect location being in the greenbelt with good schools, close to my in-laws and commutable to London,' says Gloria. The terraced Victorian house, built in 1904, was a good buy as we could extend and add value to the property.' The couple were able to move in and concentrate on family life during the first year while they made plans. Obvious changes were to extend the galley kitchen with a wraparound extension, and knock through the dark, middle room with the sitting room. They also wanted to convert the loft.