Home Style: Cool Elegance

Lucy Abercrombie has given this Victorian property a new lease of life, thanks to a confident approach, creative vision, and an eye for detail 

"I felt this house was waiting for us,” laughed Lucy as she described the moment she and husband Patrick first viewed the elegant Victorian property that was to become their home. “We opened the huge double doors leading to the sitting room and it truly was a ‘wow’ moment,’ she recalled. Before them, lay a vast empty space flooded with light from enormous windows framed on either side by patinated mirror panels, along with soaring pillars, architectural details, and an imposing fireplace. In the middle of the room - almost surreally - stood a dusty baby grand piano, which the previous owner had left behind. “It was pure theatre, and we were captivated,” said Lucy. 

“We hadn’t been serious about moving,” she admitted. “We had idly arranged to look at some properties out of curiosity, but as soon as we walked in, there was no going back. By that evening, we were working out our budget to see if we could make it work...” 

Built as a family home by the eminent architect Thomas Ellis Owen in 1844, the listed four-storey house has a fascinating history - having served as a care home for children, and a navigation school during its time. More pertinently, however, the large property had more recently been divided into two separate houses, which threw up unforeseen complications: the side that Lucy and Patrick hoped to buy didn’t have a functioning kitchen and bathroom - making the small mortgage they required virtually impossible to acquire. 

Doggedly, the couple pursued their dream and, thanks to a good deal of trust between the couple and the vendor – who still occupied the other side of the house – they were able to install the basic amenities required to deem the property habitable and qualify for the loan. 

“It was such a relief when we finally got the keys two days before Christmas,” recalled Lucy, “although it meant the family festivities were pretty much cancelled that year!” The couple, who have five grown-up children between them, camped in the basement flat – which was planned for Patrick’s elderly mother and took stock. 

“A huge bonus was that the first fix had already been done, even the walls had been plastered,” Lucy explained. “There was still plenty that required our attention, though. The original wooden floors had thousands of tacks banged into the boards throughout, for instance. Patrick spent long hours removing them, before we rallied friends and family for a floor-painting weekend!” 

The installation of a family kitchen – leading off from the imposing sitting room – was high on the agenda. “It’s somewhere we knew we’d spend a lot of time, so we gave it careful thought to get the space right,” said Lucy who has also studied interior design. The aim was for a simple, industrial look and this has been achieved with sleek units, metro tiles and a brick-framed structural beam running across the ceiling. “We wanted exposed bricks but the originals were a mess,” she explained. “In the end we used brick slips instead which look great, then painted the joist oxide red to add a dash of colour.” 

Taking centre stage is the unique kitchen island which was created to Lucy’s specification. “I found a basic workbench on e-bay, then Patrick added a zinc top and trolley wheels with old apple crates providing storage underneath for our cookbooks,” she said. “It’s easily one of my favourite pieces of furniture!” 

Indeed, items that may have been overlooked by a less imaginative eye, have been cleverly repurposed in this home: an old electric cable reel has been transformed into a coffee table with a new zinc top in the sitting room; a retro filing cabinet – rescued from a skip after a jolly night out – has been turned into a shoe cupboard in the hall, while vintage apple crates have been used to create simple bookshelves, side tables and display units. 

“I’m a great rummager!” Lucy laughed, and this eclectic approach sees new pieces combined with vintage finds, family heirlooms and treasures throughout, yet nothing feels cluttered or contrived, it all sits comfortably against the elegant architectural framework. “I can’t bear fussiness – my instinct is to opt for a clean, understated look,” Lucy explained. 

“I don’t think everything has to ‘go’ in the traditional sense, either,” she continued. “It’s a shame to discard items you enjoy just because they don’t fit a particular look or era. I love a house to incorporate a mix of things that have a history, are passed down through the generations and will always mean something. That’s what home is all about, isn’t it?” 

No doubt Thomas Ellis Owen, this historic home’s architect, would readily agree. 

Photographs: Richard Gadsby/ Living4media

Words: Sharon Parsons/Living4media