'We designed this house to be safe and fun'

After getting the green light to adopt, Matt and Rich went about creating a home full of colourful paint effects and joyful touches, perfect for their two new additions

- 

Matt and his partner, Rich, have always wanted a family, 'so when we began the adoption process we knew part of the journey would be creating a home suitable for children,' he explains. The couple had been advised to do anything big, such as travelling, moving, or renovating, before starting the adoption process, so they did all three. 'We needed a bigger property but we also love travelling so, as we both work in education and can take long holidays, we spent the summer on safari in South Africa before looking for a place to buy,' says Matt. The couple weren't tied to a particular area, and even considered moving to the countryside, but when they viewed this house and saw the light flooding through, they knew it had the bones to become a welcoming family home, even though it needed some rejigging to make the rooms work harder.

REWORKING THE LAYOUT