Retro Revival

Emma Westbury and Karim Karanouh’s covetable mid-century finds now shine in their period setting.

- Ciaro Elliott

When vintage interiors aficionados Emma Westbury and husband Karim Karanouh started house-hunting, their dream was a mid-century doer-upper. They had walked the dog past the house that is now theirs, commented on how cool it was, and agreed they would try to buy it if it ever came up for sale. ‘We’ve always loved this architectural style and the glass-brick wall at the front had intrigued us,’ says Emma.

On a short break in Cornwall with their children, Kai, now 17, and Jude, 15, the couple saw online that the property was on the market. The open viewing was the next day so they decided to cut their holiday short. ‘We walked in and immediately fell in love with the place,’ says Emma. ‘The natural light was fantastic; it streamed in through the glass-brick wall and the huge windows. Each room was a great size and they were all untouched.’