Why this 1930s family home is not what it appears at first glance
What makes a good family home? No, it’s not just its number of bedrooms (although, if you’re curious, this house has four). It’s about supporting the needs of family life with space to both come together and be apart. As those with multiple heads under one roof can confirm, having room to retreat is as important as having space to socialise. With that in mind, this recently reimagined Arts and Crafts house is a family home at its finest – and has been kitted out for copious amounts of fun, too.
The light-drenched kitchen and dining areas are the beating heart of this home. The former is refined and immaculate, with Douglas fir cabinetry and marble worktops; the latter has enough room for a large table to congregate around. It’s also surrounded by greenery: there’s a tropical internal courtyard with lush palm trees and ferns on one side and the back garden on the other. The current owners have installed retro arcade game – perhaps the perfect tool to bribe kids to finish their veg.
The living room is positioned on the other side of the glazed courtyard. We were particularly delighted to find a cocktail bar concealed by bespoke joinery here, far out of reach of curious little ones. Palm trees and margaritas? Yes, please. Or alternatively, sip your drink upstairs in the Japanese hinoki-wood bath, which overlooks the garden in one of the bedrooms.
There are more good times to be had in the garden, which has a sizable cedar-clad studio at one end. The flexible space is set up as an office and a gym, although we can see it being used for many things: somewhere to paint, practice yoga or host garden parties perhaps. One thing we’d be more reluctant to change, however, is the restorative Finnish sauna and hot tub that sits in the studio’s private courtyard. Name somewhere you’d rather go for five minutes’ peace?
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