Emma Paton, a fashion buyer-turned-blogger (her blog is called Finlay Fox), and her musician husband Liam live in Stoke Newington in London with their two children Finn and Violet. It took them over two years to find and secure this double-fronted Victorian house; they completely gutted and renovated it with an architect friend. And when the work started they had to move out for six months with their three-month-old. “I have to say it was pretty stressful, especially with such a young baby,” Emma says.

But the result is a great space for the whole family, with this once boxy Victorian house now opened up into a big family-friendly space that’s drenched in natural light. The downstairs is a sitting room and office space (with a big picture window looking out into the garden) and an open plan kitchen diner that leads to the garden.

“Never one for the monochrome or minimal, I love my kids’ rooms to hold their keepsakes, be somewhere to express their personalities, and feed their imaginations, somewhere vibrant and fun to inspire their growing minds and individuality,” Emma says. From little details like the washi-taped photographs on each of both Finn and Violet’s rooms, to adding a play kitchen at the end of the main kitchen island, this is a truly modern family home.

Our Style: Family Scandi with touches of vintage

Inspiration: Scandinavian style, Elle Decoration, Platform 5 Architects, Mid-Century Furniture, Liberty, Anthropology, Donna Wilson, Home Hotel Buenos Aires, The Balancing Barn – Living Architecture, Instagram and Pinterest

Favorite Element: Large picture window in the sitting room and glass panels in the stairwell—creating lovely natural light.

Biggest Challenge: Moving in with parents for over six months with a three-month-old baby whilst we completely renovated the house. Also fitting the vast stairwell window, which the builders managed to smash the first time they fitted it!

What Friends Say: “What color are your walls in your sitting room?” (Farrow & Ball Light Blue 22) and “I’ve always wanted white floorboards.”

Biggest Embarrassment: The cheap external pipe that’s on show when you look out the picture window in the sitting room; it really bugs me and we will sort it out one day!

Proudest DIY: The shelves in the bedroom and office space were built by my father-in-law. Apart from flat pack Ikea we tend to avoid DIY!

Biggest Indulgence: Renovating the whole house and creating a double-story extension.

Best Advice: Using an architect from start to finish when we renovated the house really helped create the best possible use of the space. We used a friend, Andries Kruger at Ambigram Architects

Dream Sources: Twenty Twenty One, Chase & Sorensen, Sunbury Antiques Market.

PAINT & COLORS
Farrow & Ball Light Blue 22
Little Green – French Grey and Pale French Grey

LIVING ROOM
Mistral Sofa – Heals
Floral Cushion – Gwendolen
Leaf Cushions – H&M
Green Knitted Ernest Pouffe – Donna Wilson at SCP
Arm Chair – inherited from my grandad originally from South Africa
Coffee Table – Ercol style from Ebay
White Kura Lamp Shades – Habitat
Hektar Floor lamp – Ikea
Grey Kolong Rug – Urbanara
Green Plaited Rug – La Redoute
Trestle Table Desk – Unto this Last
Fiber Swivel Upholstered Desk Chair by Muuto – Twenty Twenty One
China Staffordshire Dogs – Donna Wilson
Ercol Table Nests – The Peanut Vendor
Prints Gallery Wall – vintage, personal and inherited artwork
Pigeon Print – Si Scott

DINING ROOM
Dining Table – Unto this Last
Dining Chairs by Muuto – Twenty Twenty One
Stokke Tripp Trapp High chairs – Stokke
Uno La Mela, 1963 Apple Print – Twenty Twenty One
Playhouse Desk – Olive Loves Alfie
Hemnes White Cabinet – Ikea

KITCHEN
Fridge Freezer – Fisher & Paykel
Dish Drawer – Fisher & Paykel
Box Shelves – Muuto
E27 Yellow Pendant Lights – Muuto

BEDROOM
Bed – Unto This Last
Bird Print – This Lakshmi
Vintage Bird prints – inherited from my grandfather
Malm Chest of drawers – Ikea
Kura Lamp Shade- Habitat
Hector Wall lights – Original BTC

BATHROOM
Rolltop Bath – The Cast Iron Bath Company
Bevelled Mirror – vintage bought on ebay
Componibili Cabinet – Kartell

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