IN THE BALANCE

Traditionalist Emma Barrat and her modernist-loving husband Ben have merged their tastes in a timeless interior where old and new sit together with perfect poise

- SERENA FOKSCHANER

Growing up in the contemporary newbuilds developed by her father, Emma Barrat yearned for roll-top baths and a rustic kitchen complete with an Aga. Her husband, Ben Gilbert, prefers Crittall, polished concrete and open-plan industrialism. So how did this result in a family home where crystal chandeliers, restrained joinery and light-filled spaces dovetail in a confident marriage of past and present?

The couple moved here from an apartment in a converted art deco factory, which was a concession, Emma says, to Ben’s modernist leanings. Then the first of their two children arrived, and toys and trikes brought colour and chaos to the streamlined space. A tip-off from Ben’s brother led them to this Edwardian semi-detached house in west London. After years in the capital’s teeming centre, their first visit felt like an excursion to the country. ‘I saw a tree-lined street and a spire on the horizon, and everything felt right,’ says Emma.