Change OF SCENE

Moving from the Canadian countryside to London was a bit of a culture shock for Krista Hargrave, but creating a modern-rustic abode to suit her family's lifestyle helped ease the transition

- WORDS AND STYLING MARY WEAVER

Relocating from a rustic house built of logs sited on 15 acres opposite a forest in Canada to a Victorian townhouse with a postage stamp-size garden in southwest London is a bit of a lifestyle change, to put it mildly. 'Yes, it was a culture shock,' says Krista Hargrave, who made the move with her family when husband Eric's job brought them to the capital. 'Our children, Emma, Lila and Annie, were only six, five and three then and they had never even walked on a busy street,' she adds. 'We chose a leafy, gentrified area and gradually adjusted, escaping to the countryside when we could.' Once the family knew the move was permanent, they bought this spacious family home, previously renovated 15 years ago and set over four floors. 'In terms of its open-plan layout it was perfect for us,' she says, 'but design-wise it was the antithesis of our dream home.' Having come from a warm, c