We co-owned a larder before we bought a flat together,” recalls Alexis Burke. “That was our first big commitment, really.” The larder was bought on a whim by Burke, a director of television documentaries, and her husband, the Bafta-winning actor Adeel Akhtar, on a visit to AG Hendy & Co in Hastings. “It’s a very special shop that sells Victorian homeware,” explains Burke. “But realistically, I’m usually found shopping in Tiger…”
The couple and their young son, Arlo (17 months) are currently living between LA and their warm, colourful family home in Camberwell, south London, due to Akhtar’s work.
When they were handed the keys to their flat in 2013, Burke remembers standing in the entrance thinking: “Worst. Idea. Ever.” Years of renting had taken its toll on the two-storey flat. During their search, the advice of a friend stuck with them: buy the worst house on the best street. “And this is a really lovely, quiet street,” says Burke. The flat is on an estate with an active tenants’ and residents’ association that organises events in a house belonging to the community. “There’s yoga, a monthly ‘grub club’ where everyone brings their own dishes to share, a movie night and gardening club,” explains Burke. “My parents were so jealous, they’ve moved around the corner.”
The couple enlisted the help of a builder who bought into their vision for the place, which Burke describes as “slightly hazy and unthought out”. The flat occupies the ground and lower-ground floor of an early Victorian terrace. On the bright ground floor is the front room and open-plan kitchen. On the lower ground floor are two bedrooms and a mustard yellow bathroom. Access to the garden is via a half-landing between the floors.
The kitchen was custom built. “I kept looking through Ikea catalogues and thinking: ‘I don’t know how to pick anything,’” recalls Burke. “We were looking everywhere and not loving anything. Luckily, my dad had a basement full of old things including a collection of old Victorian crates.” Burke showed two to her builder and “he ran with the idea”. They formed the basis of the kitchen design. “He sourced more crates and built the surface and the frame from reclaimed wood,” says Burke. “It was just quite a relief to find someone that would go along with our silly plans.
“By the time the builder had finished, he’d done such a lovely job, the flat really felt like a blank canvas for us to add our bits to,” says Burke. She fought the urge to paint the walls in bright colours (“something I’ve done my entire life”) and instead kept them white, allowing their colourful possessions to stand out. “The flat is a compromise of styles,” says Burke. “Adeel loves really dark, worn furniture, like the leather chair we have, and the old table in the kitchen. I’d say he’s got an industrial style, whereas I’m quite drawn to bright, vibrant colours. The flat has become a combination of the two styles.”
Colour comes from Burke’s collection of Donna Wilson cushions. “I used to go to her studio sale and buy one cushion each year. I’d bring them back to my rented flat and imagine that one day I’d be able to have them on display in my own home.” The blinds in the kitchen and front room are made from fabric designed by Tamasyn Gambell: “I really love patterns and she’s an amazing designer: I went to primary school with her,” says Burke.
The artwork on the wall is mostly by friends and family members. The prints in the kitchen are by Matthew Meadows, an artist based in Brixton and a close friend. There is also work by Burke’s father (“a compulsive artist”) on display, as well as a collection of vintage film posters that she bought on a trip to Cuba 10 years ago: “I was drawn to them because of the colours and bold designs.” There are two above Arlo’s bed. “He points to the one of Charlie Chaplin and says ‘Dada’.”
There’s meaning in most of the objects in this family home, but perhaps the most precious item is a rocking chair. “My dad and my cousin George found this on the street around the corner and brought it in on our wedding day,” recalls Burke. “My cousin put some wax on it and fixed it up a bit and we’ve scratched ‘AA’ into it. Now Arlo’s joined us, we need to add another ‘A’.”
