Dagmara and Artan Lenja were keen to find a renovation project they could really sink their teeth into. ‘We wanted somewhere with potential, which we could turn into the sort of family home we dreamed of,’ recalls Dagmara. ‘We’d started off in a one-bedroom flat and gradually worked our way up size-wise, renovating each property along the way. When the children came along, it was time to think bigger.’
Having lived mainly in the Catford area of south-east London, the couple were happy to stay local. ‘We like it around here because there are lots of green spaces, good schools, excellent transport links and a real sense of community,’ Dagmara says. ‘House prices here are better than in most areas of London, but anything already done up would have been too expensive.’ They knew they’d have to take on a property that needed lots of work, which didn’t faze Dagmara and Artan – as an interior designer and the boss of a building firm, respectively, the couple are used to working together on projects, starting from scratch and coming up with solutions.
After an extensive search for nearby properties for sale, the couple spotted a totally unrenovated house just one street over from where they were living. ‘It hadn’t been touched for years. It had no central heating, and it obviously needed a total rewire,’ says Dagmara. ‘The same family had lived in it since it was built more than a hundred years previously. We liked the idea that we would be only the second owners of a period property like this and could make it our own, while respecting the origins of the house.’
KITCHEN
ãã®èšäºã¯ Your Home ã® May 2023 çã«æ²èŒãããŠããŸãã
7 æ¥éã® Magzter GOLD ç¡æãã©ã€ã¢ã«ãéå§ããŠãäœåãã®å³éžããããã¬ãã¢ã ã¹ããŒãªãŒã9,000 以äžã®éèªãæ°èã«ã¢ã¯ã»ã¹ããŠãã ããã
ãã§ã«è³Œèªè ã§ã ?  ãµã€ã³ã€ã³
ãã®èšäºã¯ Your Home ã® May 2023 çã«æ²èŒãããŠããŸãã
7 æ¥éã® Magzter GOLD ç¡æãã©ã€ã¢ã«ãéå§ããŠãäœåãã®å³éžããããã¬ãã¢ã ã¹ããŒãªãŒã9,000 以äžã®éèªãæ°èã«ã¢ã¯ã»ã¹ããŠãã ããã
ãã§ã«è³Œèªè ã§ã? ãµã€ã³ã€ã³
'Our dream home was three years in the making!â
Temi Lorant and husband Eugene made sure not to rush into renovating this run-down semi, taking years to plan the perfect extension and a put-together decor look
'I added homespun charm to this Victorian terrace'
Inspired by working in National Trust properties, Mel Green has filled her home with heritage colours, vintage furniture and handmade accessories
'I decorated this house twice to find my style'
Kayla Reynolds initially followed trends to decorate her new build, but soon realised she preferred the classic country look, so gave every room a timeless makeover
8 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE UPGRADING YOUR WINDOWS
Give your home kerb appeal while making it warmer and more energy efficient in time for winter by tackling old or outdated windows
Hot Summer patterns
Heat up your schemes with four ways to use this season's trending prints
Cafe culture
Unleash your inner barista and serve up the cafécore aesthetic in your kitchen
Foliage chandelier
Give your dining area wow factor, like Sarah, with this striking yet simple faux foliage and LED candle chandelier
Southern cider
Wow at your next summer party with this easy-yetimpressive cocktail. It has mellow whiskey flavours and a lively finish from lime juice and sparkling cider
In your garden THIS MONTH
Pull up a garden chair, breathe in the glorious scents of summer and plan of all the gardening tasks to complete
'I doubled my living space with an outdoor room'
Sarah Brooks swapped a dilapidated shed for a showstopping open summerhouse, decked out with stylish home comforts to bring the inside out