Cross cultural

An American family has fully embraced an English aesthetic in their Cambridge Arts and Crafts home, which is full of colour, pattern and joyous design details

- WORDS JULIET BENNING PHOTOGRAPHY ASTRID TEMPLIER

When Margo Moore's husband David was offered a new role in tech in Cambridge, their family, comprising Eloise, 17, and Valerie, 15, Teddy a Golden Cavalier and Simba the cat, were all well established in their Californian home. 'We had a vineyard, a pool and plenty of acreage, all in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains. It really was a dream home,' says Margo. While uprooting had never been in their immediate vision, the family had lived abroad before and enjoyed the challenges of expat life. 'Dave and I thrive on adventure, so I've never felt the need to settle in one spot permanently,' she adds.

Selling their home, donating furnishings and leaving California lock, stock and barrel behind them, Margo began the search for a Cambridge home in earnest. 'For me, a lot comes down to location and I already knew the streets I wanted us to live on. I was keen to be able to walk into the city centre and become a hub for our friends - the house where everyone congregates,' she says. Anticipating potentially a year of house-hunting, Margo was surprised to discover only the third house she viewed - a listed Arts and Crafts property built in 1922 - to be an ideal candidate. 'The second I walked in I found myself standing in this dark entryway envisioning what could be achieved. I just loved the bones,' she enthuses.