The RIGHT fit

Even though it had yellowing walls and brown carpets, this house was perfect for Joanna Thomson and her husband Ian

- SOPHIE VENING

When Joanna Thomson and her husband Ian first viewed their Victorian terrace in southeast London, they saw more than just yellowing walls, brown carpets and linoleum floors. They saw potential. 'It had beautiful original features and high ceilings,' says Joanna. 'It felt grander than the other homes we had viewed and we knew we could really put our own stamp on it.'

The couple moved into the property with their daughter Charlotte in 2022, fully aware they'd be living on site throughout the renovation. Their plans included a side-return extension to transform the dark galley kitchen into a spacious kitchen-diner at the heart of the home. Adding to the challenge, Joanna was pregnant with their second child during the project, with the build completed just days before Joanna returned from hospital with their newborn daughter, Darcy. 'The builders were still putting the finishing touches to the first-floor bathroom when I went into labour,' she remembers.