NATURAL habitat

KERRY HARRIS' EAST LONDON HOME IS A LESSON IN BLURRING THE BOUNDARY BETWEEN INSIDE AND OUT

- CARRIE MITCHELL

Kitchen

'I wanted to reduce the border between inside and outside, so I've continued the same woodeffect floor tiles beyond the glass doors all the way out onto the patio, for a seamless look."

BUY THE KEY PIECES:

Ebbe Gehl extendable oak dining table, £999; Ercol Shalstone oak dining chairs, £229 each, both John Lewis & Partners

THE LAYOUT

As you enter Kerry's Victorian terrace house, the living room is to the left of the hallway. You can then walk through to the large open plan kitchen.

Under the stairs is a small WC and opposite is a utility. On the first floor are the main bedroom with large bathroom and a guest bedroom with en suite.

In the loft extension are two more bedrooms and a small shower room.

Having lived in the Essex countryside all her life, Kerry Harris wanted a home with character closer to shops, bars and transport links into the city. When she found a run-down Victorian terrace on a pretty street in Wanstead, she knew she could turn it into something special.

WHY DID YOU BUY THIS HOUSE?

'I started looking in Wanstead after my brother-in-law, who grew up in the area, took us for a Sunday roast here. I liked the neighbourhood straight away and viewed the house for the first time on my 30th birthday. It happens to be on the same street as the house my sister had just moved to, so I was hesitant about living so close, but the house just felt right. It needed a lot of work, but I liked the layout, and it still had lots of original features I loved, so I went for it.'

WHAT WORK HAVE YOU DONE?