ART & SOUL

Art lover Isatu Funna has a talent for putting together schemes that are highly unique - as her stunning Victorian semi shows

- KARA O'REILLY

HOME TRUTHS

THE PROPERTY Semi-detached Victorian house

LOCATION North London

ROOMS Kitchen-diner/family room, two interconnected sitting rooms, study, office, utility room, boot room, four bedrooms (one en suite), two bathrooms

PURCHASED 2009 PREVIOUS PROPERTY 'We were living in Berlin before moving here,' says Isatu.

When designer Isatu Funna and her husband Philipp were house-hunting in London, they had a clear vision of the space they wanted. 'We were relocating from Berlin because of Philipp's work, says Isatu. 'We both adore art and have a sizeable art collection, so it was important to find a house with walls of sufficient size.' The couple, who have twin daughters, now aged 19, looked at over 60 properties before finding a suitable home. When we saw this house in north London, I instantly knew it was the one,' says Isatu.

One of the selling points of the house was the fact that it could accommodate Isatu's favourite painting - a three by two-metre floral piece painted on glass by Stefan Sehler. It was always about finding that wall,' says Isatu. 'I thought, we're not moving unless we can fit this work in - it would be very sad to see it go into storage.'