Second Glance

After a repeat viewing, Anna Hewitson and David Hobden took on a run-down Victorian house and turned it into a light-filled oasis of calm

- Amelia Thorpe

Anna Hewitson and David Hobden first looked around their southwest London home on a wet winter’s day, and were not impressed by what they saw. ‘I really didn’t like it,’ admits Anna. ‘My heart was set on a house around the corner, and this one felt gloomy and cold by comparison.’ But when they were outbid on the other property, the couple returned for second visit. ‘This time, the sun was streaming in and we could see its true potential,’ she says.

Interior designer Anna and chartered surveyor David are no strangers to property renovation, but this time they wanted to use their professional skills on their own house. ‘We had been living in a small flat and wanted more space, so we decided to buy what we could afford in an area we liked, and restore the house to make it suit us,’ explains Anna. ‘It’s our first “proper” family home with our daughter, Poppy, who’s 2.