‘Colour wasn't ON THE CARDS'

Lydia was hooked on wall-to-wall greys, until deep, dramatic blues drew her out of her comfort zone

- ANNABELLE GRUNDY, MICHELA COLLING

Once our second son, Arlo, had arrived, Peter and I knew we’d simply outgrown our two-bedroom flat,’ says Lydia. ‘We were keen to put down roots somewhere, so we wouldn’t need to move again in a few years, and we were hoping to find a brand-new house with a garden.

Our flat was a new build, too, which we’d bought off-plan, so we weren’t worried about choosing a property we’d never actually seen. Also, a house that didn’t need repairs or alterations, and where everything would be pristine, was very appealing to us.

New build dreams

There is plenty of new housing going up in this area, but you have to reserve your property before it’s actually built. We only had floorplans and dimensions to go on, so I really did my research before we committed ourselves. I found online images and video tours of the different house designs, and Instagram pictures of the internal finishes on offer. After comparing lots of options, Peter and I chose a detached house, which we felt was the best value in our price range. It had four good-sized bedrooms, a utility room, study, garden and a garage.

Smart planning