UNDERSTATED luxe

ALEX AND CHELSEA BUILT THEIR OWN HOME TO REFLECT THEIR PARED-BACK STYLE - AND FOR THE FESTIVE SEASON THEY ELEVATE IT WITH FORAGED TWIGS, FIR CONES AND CANDLELIGHT

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Life does feel rather surreal for Alex and Chelsea, who went from renting a flat to finding a piece of land, building two houses and living in their own bespoke home, all within a few years. 'It's quite the dream,' says architect Alex Wright, one half, along with interior designer partner Chelsea Nelson, of Nelson Wright Architects (nelson-wright.com).

TELL US ABOUT THE BUILDING WORK...

'We were aiming to build a house on one plot, but serendipitously the plot next door became available, so it made sense to build two. Before establishing our own practice, I specialised in residential work for architectural firms and Chelsea was an interior designer at Soho House. Creating our home was a joint enterprise; I focused on the strategic stuff and technical design, while Chelsea's approach was more conceptual.'

HOW DID YOU FIND THE PROCESS?