House Style with first-time buyer Emma Hoareau
The sun is shining through the windows in the living room. I love the light the flat gets and how it changes the look of the room and the colour of the walls. As a photographer, I’m obsessed with light and love to watch it move along the wall throughout the afternoon. It feels like a totally different room at different times of the day.
How would you describe the interiors of your house?Intimate. It’s such a reflection of my personality and my life – from the calming colours I’m drawn to, to the trinkets on the shelves from my travels.
If you could only save one thing, what would it be?My vintage Murano glass lamp. It’s such a unique piece and I love the beautiful light it creates in the bedroom for me to read.
My TV! I’ve never owned one before because I hate the idea of a room being centred around one object, so I decided to have curtains along the whole wall of the windows and hide it behind them. I wasn’t sure how it was going to work out, but it’s turned out super well and allows me to enjoy the room both with and without it.
Top three coffee table books?Purienne Holiday; Portraits of Interiors by Avel Vervoordt and The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. I love books I can dip in and out of, whether that’s for inspiration or reflection.
If money was no object, what changes would you make?I would dig out the original fireplace and add in a beautiful marble surround. There’s a vent on the wall so I’m pretty sure the fireplace lives behind there somewhere! I think it would really elevate the room. I might still add in a fireplace surround soon, I’ve been trying to find a vintage one…I just need to find one with the right dimensions.
You’re having people over for dinner: what do you cook?Homemade pasta and pesto. Simple yet oh-so delicious. I can’t wait to have people over for dinner here! I moved in late October and did a lot of renovation work straight away, so haven’t been able to have a housewarming yet.
Slow starts, eggs and soldiers and a walk through Victoria Park followed by a movie night. I love to spend time making coffee and breakfast when I’ve got a day off, and enjoy it while sitting on the sofa rather than by my laptop alongside emails!
What are the best things about the neighbourhood?Its proximity to so many great walks and how it feels like a little village. I love all the cafes and local shops on Chatsworth Road and for walks I pick between Hackney Marshes, Victoria Park or London Fields. I used to live a bit more centrally and I love the hustle and bustle, but it’s nice to be so close to it while also being on a quiet residential road.
How long will you be here for?I think somewhere between three to five years. It’s the first home I’ve bought but I don’t think it’s my forever home. For that, I want outdoor space.
RELATED ON THE MODERN HOUSE
Hannah Carter Owers on selling the family home in two days in pursuit of the perfect 1970s retrofit project
How time-worn textures – and rethought spaces – brought new life to woodland cabin-like home in Wales
How an unloved Eric Lyons house converted Shaun Betteridge from mid-century novice to modernist neophyte
All the Right Notes: the scents and sounds of Stephanie Hannington-Suen’s home in Leyton, east London
Ian Collins on the joys of living in a beautifully crafted, eco-friendly home in Cambridge
Creatives David and Henrietta Villiers, of design agency Studio Pond, on building a contemporary house inspired by Suffolk’s coastal vernacular and spectacular landscape
House Style with Hannah and Michael Holloway
My Modern House: graphic designer Connie Barton on putting down roots with her husband Tom Barton, co-founder of Honest Burgers, at a light-filled Victorian cottage in south London
Open House: illustrator Ferry Gouw on creating a peaceful home in a 1950s block of flats near High Street Kensington
Open House: the harmonious interiors of designer Erica Toogood and architect Thomas Downes’ renovated Victorian terrace in east London