'I reworked the layout twice to get the space I wanted'

It took two tries for Rachel Redpath to get her home exactly how she envisioned it - after a lengthy kitchen renovation, taking down an additional wall made all the difference

-  Lara Watson

Rachel and James Redpath were already dab-hands at renovating by the time they moved into this terraced house in September 2019. But although they're always up for a challenge, the house presented some unique hurdles they could never have imagined when they bought it. 'We moved in just before our eldest, Elsie, was born,' says Rachel. 'Luckily, we'd managed to get the bathroom done before her arrival in the December. And then lockdown happened.'

In a familiar story for many, work on updating the house was either put on hold or slowed to a snail's pace. 'We were so pleased to be nearer the coast for that period of time - we're a 10-minute walk from Tynemouth Longsands beach - but I just had an insatiable itch to get cracking on the house, with no idea when we could get started,' says Rachel.

COME ON IN...

WE ARE Rachel, 37, a business owner, and James, 40, a teacher, with two children, Elsie, three, and Bobby, four months, plus Bumble the beagle.

OUR HOME IS a Victorian terrace in North Tyneside, built in around 1900. I share our decorating ideas on Instagram @nicebitsof46.

MY BEST BUY My most asked question on Instagram is where we got our downstairs flooring from. I could probably have laid half the floor with the number of samples I ordered! It's an affordable LVT from Project Floors.

MY TOP TIP The best advice we got was from an architect, who suggested opening the middle room into the side return as well as the kitchen. It made total sense, though the step has given me plenty of scares with a toddler in the house!