All is CALM

This arts and crafts house has been reimagined with clever storage and a smart extension, creating stylish and orderly spaces that are easy to relax in

- EMMA LEASK

Ask Clare Pharoah what she loves about her house and she replies without hesitation... ‘more space’. Along with her husband Tim, a consultant, and their three children, they traded their London Victorian semi for a six-bedroom arts and crafts house with a large garden and tennis court in a leafy area of Edinburgh.

Typical of its era, the house had old-fashioned formal living spaces and a small kitchen. ‘With three children we decided to build an open-plan kitchen that would be the heart of the home,’ explains Clare, a lawyer turned stay-at-home mum to Chloe, 13, Grace, nine, and Elliott, six.

The couple's brief for Seán Gaule and Tom Armistead from Somner Macdonald Architects included ‘lots of light and glass, a dressing room and lots of storage – we wanted a functional house for easy family living,’ says Clare.

Along with building the 100m2 extension, the original three-storey house was completely refurbished with Clare enlisting interior designer Jane Perfect ‘to help pull it all together’.