Bright, bold and BRILLIANT

Small homes don't need to compromise on character. In Nick Kenny's two-up, two-down terrace, natural light, upcycled pieces and colourful accents make a big impact

- FRANCINE RAYMOND

When kitchen and bathroom designer Nick Kenny moved from The Tin Church, an outstanding landmark building in Faversham, his friends waited with bated breath to see where he'd lay his hat next. They had to wait for nearly a year while Nick rented and sofa-surfed, storing his tools in his car, as he gradually worked his magic on this tiny 1930s terraced house.

Over the course of the year, Nick scoured it back to brick to remove any sign of its past owners, which included a hoarder and his rodent lodgers. I mourned my lovely church,' says Nick, 'but I was determined at least to replicate its most important asset: light.' Not easy in a small two-up, two-down terrace, but with five roof lights that bring in light and sunshine from every angle, and with careful colour choices, he's beginning to feel at home.

Although the walls are whitewashed with 'the cheapest white emulsion', boldly coloured furniture, mostly made or adapted by Nick, and numerous collections give the house its character and style. Painted in dirty blues, greens, yellows and reds, it is clear he is drawn to all the primaries. My sailing days have given me a love of blue that sandy blue seen from the boat as you reach the end of your voyage; red from my 11 years living in the Chinese Quartier in Paris; that Welsh green, redolent of the 1950s; and a mustardy yellow, all with a dash of grime."