Space to breathe

Two extraordinary, double-height extensions, clad in burnt oak, add rustic glamour to Sophia and Nic Fanciulli’s classic Victorian villa

-  MARISHA TAYLOR

Kitchen

The bespoke wooden kitchen was designed to be the central point of the open-plan layout. ‘It’s such a sociable space, with an almost 360-degree view of the downstairs area and garden,’ says Sophia. BUY THE KEY PIECES Bespoke kitchen, £22,000, Edwards & Edwards. Rattan bar stools, £195 each, Rockett St George. The gold-vein quartz worktop, £2,900, came from a local quartz yard

Sophia Fanciulli, a sales and marketing manager, lives here with husband Nic, a DJ and music producer, and children Luca, 10, Leo, three, and Luna, 10 months.

THE PROPERTY

An extended fivebedroom, detached villa (@theoakhousee), built in 1871, within half an acre in East Malling, Kent.

THE VALUE

Bought in 2017 for £525,000, now worth around £1.4 million.

Sophia and Nic Fanciulli decided to leave city living behind to take on a renovation project in the Kent countryside in 2017. ‘We were keen to find a home with land that we could extend and build on,’ says Sophia. The search focused around East Malling, an easy commute to London. ‘We saw this Victorian three-bedroom detached house with land and knew it was perfect.’ After a hasty viewing and an offer that went to sealed bids, it was theirs.