Bold & Beautiful

Drawing inspiration from their Parisian background and European travels, Astrid and Martin Desveaux revamped an unloved London terrace

- Penny Botting

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For Astrid and Martin Desveaux, the journey to their south London home was an exciting one. ‘We bought our first property together when we lived in Paris,’ says Astrid. ‘It was a loft in an old printing warehouse and was the start of a long story. From there, we moved to an Art Deco house in Bucharest, before moving to London.’

Here, the couple and their sons Bertrand, now 11, and Melchior, seven, rented for a while. ‘It was a cosy house, but as tenants, we couldn’t change anything,’ says Astrid. With this and a growing family in mind – they now also have a daughter called Eugénie, three – the pair knew it was time to buy. After viewing a few places, they found an Edwardian terrace. ‘It was in the catchment area for a great school, but it also had charm. Within an hour, our offer was accepted.’

A NEW LAYOUT