BEFORE & AFTER HOME: A JOINT effort

TAKING ON A HOUSE THAT NO ONE ELSE WANTED GAVE JESSICA AND HARRY THEIR OWN DREAM HOME HH

- IFEOLUWA ADEDEJI

Kitchen

The couple extended into the garden and the side return space to create their new kitchen. Black lighting and stools complement the dark units in this well-lit space.

BUY THE KEY PIECES Kitchen designed by Jessica, built by Skyline Kitchens. Bertazonni range, £4,979, John Lewis & Partners. Herman bar chair, £339, Skandium 123:

HOME NOTES

WHO LIVES HERE?

Jessica Dunn, an interior designer (studiodunn.co.uk) and Harry Gayner, head of account management, live here with their children Bea, three, and Kit, three months.

THE PROPERTY

A renovated and extended Victorian terraced house in east London.

THE VALUE

The original four-bed house was bought for £790,000.

Jessica and Harry had only just started dating when the search for what would become their family home began. Harry had been looking for a place to buy and with Jessica an interior designer, he was keen to have her opinion. Before one of our first dinner dates he took me to look round a few J houses,' says Jessica. This one had been on the market for a long time because of its state of disrepair.' It had also been vacant for a year, and previously a rental property. But the fact that it needed so much work was appealing,' says Jessica. It had three floors, with a flat roof which could accommodate a mansard roof extension and enormous potential.'

A PHASED APPROACH

The couple initially just redecorated. A few years later when we had got the funds we began the roof, the side return and rear extensions, explains Jessica. We also had to rebuild the staircases as the existing ones were dangerously steep, which meant a re-levelling of the floors.'