Surrey Homes | SH23 | September 2016 | Education supplement inside

Above: The master bedroom - and Charlie’s room across the hall - are on the ground floor, with a semi-soundproof door they can pull
across so they can entertain without disturbing his sleep. Their upholstered bed is from Feather & Black, with bedding from one of
Jenna’s favourite online companies, The Secret Linen Store. The walls are painted with Soothing White from Homebase
dinner parties – we celebrate the opening of an envelope!”
says Jenna, while showing me the cleverly hidden sliding
door that separates the living from the sleeping area. Practical
and aesthetic details have been executed with equal care.
Aesthetically, one could describe this home as ‘Modern
Rustic’ but Jenna has a nice way of summing up how her
and Andrew’s tastes were combined: “We have very different
styles. I’m probably quite English country cottage and
traditional – I grew up with that style and it reminds me of
home. My husband is more bachelor pad; clean lines, gloss
kitchen, minimalist. So, over the years we have found an
aesthetic that we both like, kind of Scandi/Industrial.”
The first thing I notice as I walk into the main living area is
the expanse of what appears to be pale wooden floor boards.
“They’re actually ceramic,” says Jenna. “We looked at having
wooden floorboards, but when you have a rambunctious
toddler, it wasn’t really very realistic. At first I was sceptical,
as I don’t like things that pose as other things. I always think
it looks as if you are trying to be something you’re not.”
But the effect is spot-on, both practical and beautiful –
especially when you find that there’s underfloor heating too.
Wood is a recurring theme, softening what could
otherwise be a little hard and stark. “We knew we wanted
it to be kind of Scandinavian, and with lots of white and
neutral wall colours,” says Jenna. “I wanted a white kitchen,
but softened with touches of wood. And that’s where
the idea for this floating island came from.” Around the
top edge of a glossy, white kitchen island runs a band of
warm, honey-coloured oak just asking to support a cup
of tea or to be leant upon while chatting. Oak floating
91 wealdentimes.co.uk