In the Spotlight – Hanwell House

Today I’m welcoming Lucie of @hanwell_house to my In the Spotlight series sharing her beautiful home that she recently extended creating a stunning and elegant kitchen extension after completing their loft conversion 3 years ago.

You can see that Lucie has put in hours of research into creating her beautiful home and there is still plenty more to do. Just like Lucie one of the things I wish that we had done was having a wider and more grander opening in to the extension. However with rising costs it’s not possible to have it all, and Lucie found that her budgets were tricker to manage during the pandemic with the ever increasing cost of materials. One of the things that I always say if you’re having the budget debate, is that it’s your home and if you’re in it for the long term it needs to be right for you and for you to enjoy living there.

For Lucie the renovations really never end, and there is a living room, three bedrooms, a front and back garden plus upcycling an old kitchen dresser left to do. Good luck Lucie I can’t wait to see how you style them.

I’d love for you to take a read of what Lucie has done so far to create and style her stunning home in West London.

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Tell us about your home and your renovation project. What did you do?

We live in an Edwardian semi-detached house in West London.  We did a loft conversion about 3 years ago, adding in 2 bedrooms and a shower room making it a floor for our 2 boys.  They can make all the noise they want up there!

We recently just completed a kitchen extension, extending out 3.5 metres to the back and then 1.5 metres to the side but still retaining a narrow side access to the garden.  We wanted an open plan living space so kitchen is in the top part and bottom is dining table, sofa and TV  – where we can hang out as a family.  We also turned part of our old kitchen into a small but practical utility room and added in a valuable downstairs loo.

How would you describe your Interior Design style?

Neutral, elegant with pops of colour.  I love mixing brass, glass and marble together with plants and artwork to bring a look alive.  I’m obsessed with the style of Soho Home.

What did you enjoy the most about your house renovation?

Shopping!  I love researching and finding things, I’m a big online shopper.  From sofa, lighting, chairs, tiles you name it  – even the kitchen was purchased online!  Also, I love rummaging in second hand shops as you never know what goodies you might find.  I picked up 2 beautiful rattan carver chairs from my local second hand shop and found a french bistro chair in the street.

What was your biggest challenge? 

Keeping budget under control – we got stung with delays from Covid and the big increase of building material costs.  Once you are in it, you just have to go with it! This is our house for life and have no plans of moving, so the investment will be worth it. 

Is there anything that you would have done differently?

I was so focused on the kitchen extension I didn’t consider the existing hallway and how it would flow with rest of the house. We put a standard pocket door entering into the kitchen, really wished we went for a wider and taller opening. It was a complete oversight and does bug me !

Share (max) three top tips to help inspire and help future home renovators?

Research, research, research.   Instagram and Pinterest are brilliant research tools.  Really look at what you like and why, stay true to your own style and don’t go with trends just for the sake of it.

What was your best purchase?

Second hand kitchen dresser from Facebook Market place.  Traditional, lots of character and valuable storage space.  I still need to figure out what colour to paint it but have added on brass handles so far – it’s a project I hope to complete next month.

Would you do it again?

Yes my creative side would love to, but I don’t think my family would agree to moving !  I have a huge passion for interior design and really wish I took this as a career path years ago.

What’s next? Any future renovation plans?

How long have you got?!  Garden front and back, through lounge, family bathroom and the 3 remaining bedrooms on first floor still need completing.

We have a lot of work left to do but we knew this was a big project when we purchased it, it really is a labour of love.

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Thank you so much Lucie for allowing me to feature you and your stunning home, and for taking the time to take part. It’s been a pleasure to feature you and I hope you enjoyed revisiting your home renovation and how you styled it. Watch out for Lucie’s garden renovation, and if you’re adding furniture to an outdoor space like a patio, you can’t go wrong with a brand like Cane-Line from houseandhold.com. Their furniture has a subtle modern Scandinavian aesthetic that will bring the same elegance from the indoors out to the patio. 

Do go and check out @hanwell_house on Instagram where you can see more of Lucie’s home and her future projects.

I’m always on the lookout for homes and renovation projects to feature, so please do drop me an email hello@clairemorandesigns.co.uk if you are interested in finding out more.

Claire x