Eclectic revamp: 'Our style is a blend of vintage and industrial'

Moody hues softened with pale pinks, bold patterns and quirky vintage pieces have given Bekki Gregory and Andrew Patterson's Victorian home an individual look

- Karen Wilson

After living in London for 13 years, Bekki and Andy Gregory felt the time was right to move back to the north east after their daughter, Elodie, was born. Having bought their first home in their early twenties, a one-bed new-build in Bow, east London, the couple had been able to move up the ladder to a three-bedroom Victorian terrace in the same area. This gave them a healthy budget to buy a bigger place near family in Stockton-on-Tees. 'We wanted a period property with four or more bedrooms, decent outside space and off-road parking, which we didn't have in London,' says Bekki. 'Our search area was confined to a two-road radius because we wanted to be within walking distance of the train station.' The pair instantly fell for a four-bedroom Victorian semi on a large plot. 'It was in a good, solid state and didn't need any structural work,' says Bekki. 'We loved the layout and the previous owners had extended to create a bigger kitchen and garden room.

They'd also added an extra bedroom upstairs which has a step down, making it feel like a separate suite.

Andy kept his job and continued commuting, while Bekki got a new job as head of womenswear design at Urban Outfitters which involved three days a week in London. 'It was a big move,' says Bekki. 'But as we've still got that attachment to the capital, it didn't feel quite as drastic.'

After living in the house for a year, the couple gradually started to make changes.