Best of both worlds for designer

"I love London and moved there when I was 17, but I wanted to bring the children up near my family. I grew up in this area and it was time to move back," says Tor, who is one half of architectural and interiors design duo Dobson and Vivian.

She now has an office in Fulham with architect Andrew Dobson and one in Ripon close to the home she shares with husband Tom, and their children Daisy, 12, and George, nine.

After renting for a while, she and Tom bought a six-bedroom, late 18th century city centre farmhouse as an investment project five years ago.

"I could see there was potential to split the property into two smaller houses, which were more manageable," says Tor.

"The idea was to do that and then sell again quite quickly. But we decided to keep one and have the other as a holiday let and a place for friends from London to come and stay." Although the house is grade two listed, council planners were happy to give the go-ahead. "If it was in the country I think we'd have struggled, but the planning officials were very helpful. The property was in need of renovation and they were keen to see it done."

The Vivians split the house and had both sections re-wired, re-plumbed and re-plastered.

Blown vinyl wallpaper was replaced with painted walls and the few period features that remained were preserved, though exposed beams have been covered to avoid a "cottagey look".

"We've moved about five times before and we've always renovated and extended, plus I've been involved in a lot of similar projects for clients, so we weren't daunted at all," says Tor.

The build took just seven months and shows off her design and spatial planning skills. Recognising the potential for an extra room, she converted the tiny basement by digging down for more head height. It cost about 20,000 to complete, but is cosy and dry thanks to tanked damp proofing and boasts bespoke joinery to make the most of limited floor space. It is now a children's playroom /cinema room with built-in seating and desks for homework.

Upstairs on the ground floor, the roomy back kitchen is a mix of units from Ripon Interiors, which were wood veneer and are now painted, and bespoke cupboards built by a joiner. The chairs are 1940s and French, while the table is a cast-off from her parents' home.

"I like a mix of vintage, antiques and modern and I try and encourage my clients to have a mix, too," she says. "If everything is new and modern, there is no sense of history and no story."

The flooring is blue limestone outdoor paving – heavy duty and cost-effective – leading to the low maintenance garden. Back inside, the sitting room features hand-made sofas that have proved a sound investment. "It's slightly more expensive to have them made but they last for years and you can have them recovered. They aren't a throwaway item," says Tor.

The room is also home to her most prized possession – a set of 1970s pop art prints by Richard Lindner. "My father bought them for his office in the Seventies. He's an art lover, too, and

asked me, my brother and sister if we wanted them. Fortunately, they weren't interested, but I love them and wherever I have lived I have found a spot for them."

She also buys from Affordable Art Fairs and is a regular at Hornseys Gallery in Ripon. Her favourite artists include York-based Ed Kluz and Leeds-based Richard Snowden. Her collection of prints and originals add colour to the mostly neutral walls painted in her favourite Farrow and Ball shades including Stony Ground, Slipper Satin and Savage Ground with Pointing on the ceilings.

Fabrics for her soft furnishings are from London's Chelsea Harbour, which is easily accessible from Dobson and Vivian's London office.

"I love Colefax and Fowler and I really like what Designers Guild are doing at the moment," says Tor, who also has a separate curtain-making workshop in London.

Rugs are from the Rug Company and Stepevi, also in London. Other favourite shops include the collection of studios at Old Imperial Laundry in Battersea, which houses Julian Chichester Furniture and Tyson Ltd. The latter, she says, is a little known treasure trove with fantastic lamps and console tables. She uses them all when furnishing her clients' properties and will use them when she and Tom find a new home for the family. "We'd like to move somewhere a little bit more rural with a bigger garden for the children. This house has been the perfect stepping stone from London. I think living in the country would've been too much of a culture shock at first, but we're keen to move now," says Tor.

"Our next place will definitely be in this area. There is no way my family would move back to London. They love it here."

Tor's useful contacts

Dobson and Vivian architectural and interior design, Ripon and London: tel: 078 1001 3305, www.dobsonandvivian.co.uk

Julian Chichester Furniture, the Old Imperial Laundry, Warriner Gardens, London, www.julianchichester.co.uk

Tyson Ltd, Havelock Terrace, London, for furniture and architectural antiques, www.tysonltd.com

Chelsea Harbour, London, for fabrics www.chelsea-harbour.co.uk

Porta Romana, Chelsea Harbour, London, for lighting. www.portaromana.co.uk

Hornseys Gallery, 3 Kirkgate, Ripon for art, www.hornseys.com

Country Chaise Upholstery, Ripon, tel: 01765 605200

The Rug Company, Notting Hill, Holland Park Avenue, London, www.therugcompany.info

Stepevi rugs, King's Road, London, www.stepevi.com

Interior trends – Tor Vivian says:

Bright colours are coming through, though you can still keep the walls neutral and add colour with rugs, cushions, fabrics and art.

Wallpaper is back in a big way and there are some beautiful and brave designs.

Big showers. Everyone wants one it seems and some people want their baths ripped out and replaced with one – or two. I discourage getting rid of baths because it makes a property less saleable. But there are some fantastic showers out there using coloured glass enclosures.

YP MAG 11/9/10