This 143-Year-Old Home Has a Lush “Urban Jungle Garden” in the Backyard
ABOUT THIS TOUR
HOME TYPE: Townhouse
LOCATION: Central Hove, East Sussex, United Kingdom
STYLE: Colorful, Contemporary, Modern, Traditional
BEDROOMS: 3
SQUARE FEET: 1345
Kas and her partner, Tom, moved into their Brighton home six years ago, after relocating from a one-bedroom basement flat just a few streets away. They chose this three-bedroom townhouse for its space, and immediately saw its renovation potential. Kas describes it as a blank canvas at the beginning, with mostly white and gray walls, aside from some quirky silver accents that took a lot of paint to cover.
Now, their home is bright and playful, filled with patterns and pops of color. It’s an open, inviting space with personality and feels like home. Kas shares that a lot has changed since they first moved in — they’ve knocked down walls, added a new bedroom, and welcomed two kids, Charlie and Oscar.
Initially, it was just the two of them, but they knew they wanted a renovation project to create a functional space for their growing family. One of the first significant changes involved their bedroom layout. As soon as they saw the primary bedroom, they realized it was much larger than they would ever need — probably close to the size of their entire previous flat. They managed to complete this project just before their first son, Charlie, was born, before starting on the next project downstairs.
The couple’s next focus was making their downstairs living area more spacious and practical as they began working on the side return extension. They wanted to open up the space while also optimizing storage. Kas sketched a plan for the kitchen cupboard; initially, she was unsure if it would take up too much space or look out of place, but she loved how it turned out. It’s perfect for hiding away items that would otherwise look messy, including their washing machine, dryer, vacuum, and microwave.
When it comes to renovating, one of the biggest lessons Kas has learned is to always plan ahead. This means really thinking about the practical ways they will use their home. And when it comes to outlets — more is always better! Simple things like having high plug sockets for their speakers make a difference, and it’s always better to think ahead, as going back to change anything will end up costing more.
Kas and Tom have a fun and collaborative approach to interior design. Usually, one of them comes up with a creative idea — like a color or pattern — and runs it by the other for feedback. They enjoy bouncing ideas off each other and discussing what works and what might be a bit risky. Kas emphasizes the importance of experimenting: “The worst thing that can happen is you have to repaint over it. That type of stuff is a lot easier to change and isn’t the end of the world, so it’s worth trying something different.”
One of their key philosophies is understanding complementary colors and how they change in different lighting. They tend to choose color combinations for rooms — such as pink and green, or yellow and blue — and let everything else come together from there.
With their kids being such an integral part of their lives, Kas emphasizes creating a home that works for everyone. She understands that things will inevitably get stained, scratched, or scuffed — especially with young children. Instead of worrying about keeping everything pristine, she advises embracing the lived-in feel as part of family life.
The open concept design has also worked well for them as a family — the kids love being able to run around, and Kas and Tom can see and hear them much more easily. At the end of the day, you’re not just designing a home for yourselves, but for everyone in your family: “Your kids are such a big part of your life; it’s their home too, so you have to make it work for them.”
Resources
PAINT & COLORS
Front room — Farrow & Ball Downpipe
Playroom — Farrow & Ball Citrona, Palm, and Hazy
Kitchen — Cupboards, Farrow & Ball Duck Green; Walls, Farrow & Ball Pink Ground
Hallway — Bottom, Farrow & Ball Hague Blue; Top, Farrow & Ball Old White
Bathroom — Dulux Heritage Red Sand
Small bedroom — Terrazzo style: Crown Ella Decoration
PRIMARY BEDROOM
Walls — Farrow & Ball Card Room Green
Woodwork — Farrow & Ball Studio Green
Bed — Ercol by John Lewis
Side tables — Ercol
Bedside lights — John Lewis
Light — John Lewis Harmony
Wardrobes
KIDS BEDROOM
Walls — Little Green Paint Pink Yellow
Woodwork — Little Green Paint Lamp Black
Tent — IKEA
Ceiling light — Tom Raffield by John Lewis
Furniture — Silver Cross
Toddler bed — John Lewis
Mat — Totter and Tumble
Sofas — John Lewis
Lamp/table — Marks and Spencer
Fireplace — Original with surround from Facebook Marketplace
ENTRY
Radiators — Acova
LIVING ROOM
Sofa Bed — Made from Facebook Marketplace
Chair — Facebook Marketplace
Chair — John Lewis
Light — Empire chandelier
DINING ROOM
Table — John Lewis
Matisse Print
Shelves — Made.com
KITCHEN
Kitchen cupboards — Wren
Safe Coffee Machine
Boiling water tap — Insinkerator
SPARE BEDROOM
Fish, bugs, and seahorses — Studio Roof
Thanks, Kas!
This tour’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.
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Further Reading
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Everything You’ve Ever Wanted To Know About Article’s DTC Furniture
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