It's spacious yet has a COSY VIBE'

Nicky and Tom Baker have added soothing tones and bursts of colourful character to their cleverly extended family home

Moving from a small, rented flat in Hackney to a two-up, two-down Victorian cottage in Walthamstow felt like a very grown-up step for us when we bought our first property together in 2014,’ says Nicky. ‘Tom and I were lucky enough to inherit a small amount of money and were keen to get our foot on the property ladder. Staying in Hackney, we could have only afforded a tiny one-bed flat, so we widened our search to Walthamstow Village, where we were able to stretch to a little two-bedroom cottage with a small courtyard garden.

At the time it felt so much further out of London, but it was a proper little house, and we loved the area – with its cobbled parade of artisan shops and old-fashioned pubs, it felt like you were stepping back in time, and with great links into the city and Epping Forest on its doorstep, it had a bit of everything.

Cottage charm

The previous owners had done a great job of restoring the house from its drab 1970s decor back to its former glory, ripping out carpets and ceiling tiles, and uncovering the gorgeous fireplaces. The place had its quirks, like a downstairs bathroom and the front door opening directly into the living room, but it was also full of character with plenty of original features. It was perfect for our needs – that was until we discovered we were expecting a baby and soon realised we’d either have to move or make this house bigger!

MIX OF STYLES

A mix of vintage and modern gives a lived-in feel. We got the Ercol chairs on eBay and the dining table is Swoon'

Helping hand