While buying even a studio flat is a pipe dream for many first-time buyers in London, living in the most affordable region of England has enabled first-time buyers Steph and Si Lumsdon to leap several rungs up the property ladder. In 2011 the pair swapped their rented Newcastle flat for a four-bedroom Victorian terrace in Whitley Bay, costing £189,000. They have spent the past few years transforming the period house into a colourful family home which they now share with their children Phoebe, five, and Reuben, two.
“When I got pregnant it was time to put down roots,” says Steph, 32. “The house had flock wallpaper and old-fashioned carpets, but I loved the coving and original fireplaces, and could see past the dated decor.”
With three bedrooms on the first floor and one in the attic, it was perfect for Simon who often works from home as a medical sales rep. It’s also within walking distance of good schools and the beach. “While our old landlord had let us redecorate to a certain extent, I couldn’t wait to make changes to our own home,” says Steph.
Most of the redecorating was tackled in about eight weeks while Steph was heavily pregnant. “There was a lot of working late into the evening and eating takeaway pizzas on deck chairs,” she remembers. “It was such a rush job, we’ve had to redo some of the work recently.”
When it came to designing, Steph says: “I don’t like to be too prescriptive and have everything matchy matchy, like a catalogue. I always start with how I want to feel in a particular room.” As a result, the master bedroom feels peaceful and serene while the living room is cosy and warm with darker colours, such as greys, purples and oranges. “The dining room is brighter as that’s where we congregate when people come round, so I wanted it to feel much livelier,” says Steph, who hired a decorator to create an ombré wall across the chimney breast and alcoves using four shades of B&Q’s Valspar paint.
The small kitchen has also had a makeover using two different kitchen ranges from Wickes, with cream units below and light oak above. Geometric floor tiles from Fired Earth add a quirky contrast to the traditional Shaker-style doors.
Upstairs, Steph indulged her love of bold pattern and colour using Orla Kiely wallpaper in Reuben’s nursery and a vibrant Graham & Brown design in Phoebe’s bedroom along with a bright yellow dresser upcycled by the local firm Refunk your Junk. As the existing white bathroom suite was in good condition, they simply added a new corner shower and painted the roll-top bath and dark wood panelling a pale sage green colour.
After Phoebe was born the couple knocked down the wall between the hallway and dining room to make the layout more family-friendly. “It felt quite dark and closed in,” says Steph. “I was always running up and down the corridor from the kitchen to the dining room to pop my head round the door and check on her. It’s now the hub of the house where we eat, work and do crafts.”
Over the years, Steph feels her style has evolved from “shabby eclectic” to a slightly more “sophisticated eclectic” and she’s a fan of homeware shops such as Anthropologie, Home Sense, Habitat and Loaf. “I’d much rather spend money on home stuff than clothes,” she admits. “I get way more joy out of that.”
Renovating the house has led to a job as an interior designer with Neil Wilson Design in Newcastle, after a career which has encompassed roles as varied as NHS project manager, TV location co-ordinator and children’s party entertainer. “I took a course at KLC School of Design in Chelsea several years ago,” she says. “So it’s wonderful to be doing it for a living now.”
With plans to change the bathroom flooring and add patio doors to the dining room, there’s still plenty for Steph to get her teeth into at home and the family has no plans to move on. “I would be very sad to leave as we’ve done so much to make it ours. It would be like leaving a bit of me behind.”
