We decided we are HERE TO STAY'

Lisa and Martin bought a spacious new-build because of a nearby school, only meaning to live there temporarily. Years later, they are still enjoying their minimal mono home

- ALISON GIBB, MICHELA COLLING

When we first moved into this house, the first task on our list was to tone down the decor,’ says Lisa. ‘The rooms were all painted in various shades of the rainbow, and although it was certainly a vibrant interior, none of the room schemes flowed from one to the other, and the overall effect was busy and garish. We set about decorating, but at the time, we thought we would only live here for a couple of years.

The area was new to us, and we had only moved here as it was close to a great school for our two children, Jordan and Freya. In the meantime, my husband Martin wanted to focus on setting up his joinery business, plus we wanted to spend our time getting to know people, and the local area, rather than tackling a renovation. A new-build house that only needed a quick lick of paint was the ideal level of difficulty for us at the time. Working room by room, we calmed down the decor, and created a neutral scheme we could live with until we moved house.

Long-term thinking

However, a few years down the line, we realised how happy and settled we were here, so we decided to make the house our own and extend it to suit us better.

We chose to add a full-width extension at the back, so the old dining room has become a cosy snug, and the kitchen is now super spacious and opens onto a new dining area overlooking the garden. The extension has three large Velux roof lights, so sunlight floods in now, and the space is really open and sociable. French doors connect the house to the garden and add an indoor/outdoor sense of space all year round.