LIGHT THE WAY

Interior designer Elie Jones has cleverly redesigned a time-warp property to bring her vision for a bright, stylish family home to fruition

- JANET McMEEKIN

HOME TRUTHS

THE PROPERTY A detached house, built in the 1930s

LOCATION Surrey

ROOMS Sitting room, kitchen-diner/living area, snug, utility room, cloakroom, four bedrooms, two bathrooms

PURCHASED 2009

PREVIOUS PROPERTY ‘We lived in a Victorian terraced house in Surbiton,’ says Elie.

When Elie Jones viewed a dated and oppressive 1930s property in Surrey, her creative instincts were twitching; she instantly realised that by extending the house outwards and upwards, she could create a light-drenched and sophisticated yet family-friendly home.

‘The fact that the exterior needed some attention, the hallway was dark and, at three metres square, the kitchen was rather cramped, actually made the property even more appealing,’ says interior designer Elie. ‘All I could see was the potential to transform it into a wonderfully airy home, bursting with surprise design elements.’

Back in 2009, Elie, of Elie Jones Interiors, and her husband, Chris, director at Great With Talent, began hunting for a more spacious house, close to good schools. ‘At the time, our daughter Eva, who is now 15, was about to start school, and I was pregnant with our now 11-year-old son, Artie,’ Elie explains. ‘This house is located in a popular, quiet crescent in Esher, where highly sought-after properties rarely change hands.’

KITCHEN The frames of the glazing are streamlined to maximise the amount of light coming in. GS Pendant 300 lights in brushed nickel, from £672 each, Tom Kirk Lighting. Bosco bar stools, from £364 each, The Chair People