All Change

After a mammoth building project, Olivia and David Anderson brought in interior designers to create a coherent look, with blue playing a starring role

Keen to take on a renovation project, Olivia and David Anderson struck lucky when they found a three-bedroom Edwardian house in southwest London that had hardly been touched in 60 years.

‘It had so much potential to extend,’ says Olivia, ‘but what really sealed the deal was the large garden.’

The year-long project was split into two phases, the first being a loft conversion to create two extra bedrooms and a bathroom. After a short break, the second phase started, which involved extending the ground floor to create an open-plan kitchen-diner and family space as Olivia loves to cook. ‘The floor space in now nearly doubled the size,’ she says.

With two children, Jack, 11, and Jacob, four, living among the dust and rubble it wasn’t easy. ‘While the ground level was being done we lived in an old building in the garden with a makeshift kitchen and toilet, which we called “the pavilion”,’ says Olivia. ‘Despite the name, it wasn’t exactly luxurious. There were hundreds of challenges along the way as old houses are never easy, but I’ve learnt two things – don’t live in a property while renovating and don’t scrimp on costs.’