'Our home's an ODE TO RETRO'

'Our home's an ODE TO RETRO'

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COME ON IN!

ABOUT ME I’m Kate Beavis, 47, a marketing consultant (theindie practice.com). I live here with my husband Adam, 46, a carpenter, and our children, Herbie, 12, and Kitty, 10.

MY HOME A four-bedroom detached 1920s house in Bedfordshire. We moved here in February 2011.

WHEN WE MOVED IN The house was damp and decrepit. There were mid-century wallpapers, a rickety extension and worn-out carpets everywhere, even in the kitchen.

AND NOW The old kitchen has been transformed into a big, bright family hub, and we’ve incorporated the old wallpapers to make each room a backdrop for our vintage accessories.

STYLE TIP Fill shelves with just two or three colours, and not too many items – the trick is knowing when to stop.

Instead of ditching dated decor, Kate celebrated it by mixing vintage treasures with modern touches

While house-hunting for my next project, I was determined not to compromise,’ says serial renovator Kate.‘I knew that I wanted an older, detached property, with a garage and garden, and it had to be a doer-upper.