Reader's home of the month
This month's £150 Habitat giftcard goes to lindsaydglasgow's 'terrace on a teeny budget'...
Victorian villa restored
A daunting wreck is turned into a warm family home...
For Helen Tucker, renovating houses is therapeutic. 'It's incredibly soothing to take somewhere cold and desolate, and fill it with light and warmth,' she says, proudly watching her daughters, Bella and India, twirling on the tangerine-coloured stairs.
And Helen should know – since 2001, this former solicitor and mum of three has tirelessly refurbished a string of family houses, recording the process in a fascinating blog. The 'before' and 'after' pictures are testimony to her hard work and feisty, modern style… 'And to my husband, Cleve's, patience,' Helen adds. 'We developed and sold three properties before this one, so I could avoid going back to juggling kids and work. But I've promised Cleve and the children that this is the last move for a while.'
Her approach is like cognitive behavioural therapy for depressed homes – this time she used her can-do vision to turn around an unhinged, rambling period semi in East Dulwich. When the couple exchanged contracts on the property in early 2007 it was a bona fide nightmare: no central heating or hot water, a warren of bedrooms filled with hoarders' junk, and yards of ice-cold linoleum, feebly warmed by an ancient Ascot heater in the kitchen. 'Our friends told us we'd gone a wreck too far with this one,' says Helen, 'especially as we'd just had our third baby, Otto.'
It took nearly six months of basic structural improvements to make it safe and habitable for the family, but Helen knew the best way to survive the renovation process was to work and learn alongside the pros. 'It's better to get stuck in and learn shoulder to shoulder with an experienced plumber or builder. I've made myself part of the team, rather than someone who just pays the bills, and over the years I've taught myself to paint windows and tile bathrooms,' she says.
Want to see more images of Helen and Cleve's stylish family home? Take a room-by-room photo tour around this cool, modern space.
A regular poster on the Livingetc.com forums, Helen has a great memory for design sources, and her enthusiasm for decorating trivia is totally infectious. Helen also undertakes renovations and interiors projects for clients. To find out more, go to helent.co.uk.
And Helen should know – since 2001, this former solicitor and mum of three has tirelessly refurbished a string of family houses, recording the process in a fascinating blog. The 'before' and 'after' pictures are testimony to her hard work and feisty, modern style… 'And to my husband, Cleve's, patience,' Helen adds. 'We developed and sold three properties before this one, so I could avoid going back to juggling kids and work. But I've promised Cleve and the children that this is the last move for a while.'
Her approach is like cognitive behavioural therapy for depressed homes – this time she used her can-do vision to turn around an unhinged, rambling period semi in East Dulwich. When the couple exchanged contracts on the property in early 2007 it was a bona fide nightmare: no central heating or hot water, a warren of bedrooms filled with hoarders' junk, and yards of ice-cold linoleum, feebly warmed by an ancient Ascot heater in the kitchen. 'Our friends told us we'd gone a wreck too far with this one,' says Helen, 'especially as we'd just had our third baby, Otto.'
It took nearly six months of basic structural improvements to make it safe and habitable for the family, but Helen knew the best way to survive the renovation process was to work and learn alongside the pros. 'It's better to get stuck in and learn shoulder to shoulder with an experienced plumber or builder. I've made myself part of the team, rather than someone who just pays the bills, and over the years I've taught myself to paint windows and tile bathrooms,' she says.
Want to see more images of Helen and Cleve's stylish family home? Take a room-by-room photo tour around this cool, modern space.
A regular poster on the Livingetc.com forums, Helen has a great memory for design sources, and her enthusiasm for decorating trivia is totally infectious. Helen also undertakes renovations and interiors projects for clients. To find out more, go to helent.co.uk.
