New looks for an old house

Playing safe isn’t in Emma Gordon’s nature when it comes to interior design and her home in Halifax is testament to her no holds barred approach. It’s a fabulous mix of colour and pattern and is proof that it pays to be bold.

The scene is set for visitors who are greeted by a bright yellow Ikea sideboard topped with a Kartell bourgie lamp in the hallway, which is complemented by a multi-coloured stair runner from Crucial Trading. The walls are lined with a vivid variety of framed graphic posters including Jamie Reid’s sleeve for the Sex Pistols’ seminal first single.

“Wow” is the reaction from most people, who are amazed by contrast of the exterior and interior. From the outside, the property appears to be a traditional period townhouse.

“As you can see I love bright colours.” says Emma, who worked in design and advertising agencies before launching her interior design consultancy Eye Candy.

She and husband Andy, a sales manager, bought the house three years ago after searching for a family-sized home.

The couple who have a son Rudy, four and daughter Bo, 16 months, were looking for a farmhouse, but were seduced by the Victorian house close to the centre of Halifax. “It had belonged to the same lady for 60 years and needed modernising but I could see the potential, plus it is tucked away in a great area and we were looking for a renovation project,” says Emma.

She project managed the scheme, which took just eight months and cost around £100,000. It included new heating, electrics, plumbing and plastering.

Period features were thin on the ground after being ripped out in the 1960s but there were a few original panelled doors that had been boarded over. These were refurbished and Emma sourced reclaimed doors to match. She re-instated picture rails and fireplaces and had a new front door made to bring light into the hall.

Emma and Andy were also keen to maximise the space in the property by converting the basement and putting a large guest bedroom and en-suite in the attic.

The basement conversion, which involved tanking the walls to keep out the damp and digging down to get more head room, cost £40,000, but it was well worth the expense.

It now houses a spacious dining kitchen from Palmer and Palmer in Lightcliffe, a larder, utility room, cloakroom and storage space.

It also shows off one of her favourite pictures – a canvas created from a photograph of a big yellow New York taxi cab.

It was her wedding car when she and Andy got married in the Big Apple in 2006.

The old kitchen and utility on the first floor are now an office and a games room for Andy’s pool table. His Gibson guitar also has pride of place on the wall.

What was the dining room is now a TV/family room with spill-proof leather sofas that are perfect for children.

The more grown-up sitting room next door boasts a bespoke sofa that she designed and had made locally.

“A lot of people don’t realise that it doesn’t cost any more than buying something from the high street but you can have the exact shape and fabric you want and the quality is brilliant. You can even specify how squashy or firm the cushions are,” she says.

Each room in the house has its own identity and colour scheme, though the easiest option would’ve been a neutral backdrop throughout the house.

“My favourite paints are by Farrow and Ball, Marston and Langinger and Zoffany.

“You can’t beat them for range of colour and depth,”says Emma,

She sourced contemporary furniture and furnishings from her favourite stores, which include Redbrick Mill in Batley and Heal’s. Her black four-poster is from Heal’s is perfect for the extra large proportions of the rooms on the first floor.

There were five bedrooms, but the couple opted to keep four and convert one into a spacious bathroom, which boasts a free standing bath and twin sinks from Bathstore with a feature wall of Cole and Son’s Orchid paper.

Emma loves wallpaper from Cole and Son, Osborne and Little, Harlequin and Designers Guild and one of her favourite’s is in Bo’s bedroom – the contemporary floral “Notting Hill” from Designer’s Guild.

It represents the sort of confident approach that she offers her clients. With a team of contactors at her fingertips, she project manages renovations and extensions as well as interiors design.

She also offers Inspiration Hours for £50, where she’ll give ideas to homeowners who want some fresh creative input. Her own home is a showcase for her work and for those who are afraid of colour it shows that she who dares wins.

Eye Candy interior design, www.eyecandy-interiordesign.co.uk

EMMA’S FAVOURITE SHOPS

* Heal’s at Rednrick Mill, Batley or www.heals.co.uk

* Allposters, wwwallposters.co.uk

* www.55max.com for photo canvases

* Crucial Trading for runners and floorcoverings, visit www.crucial-trading.com

* Palmer and Palmer kitchens, Lightcliffe, Halifax, www.palmerandpalmer.co.uk

* Redbrick Mill, Batley, for contemporary furniture and homeware, www.redbrickmill.co.uk

* Graham and Green, for contemporary furniture and accessories, www.grahamandgreen.co.uk

* Farrow and Ball paint, www.farrow-ball.com

* Marston and Langinger paint, www.martson-and-langinger.com

* Zoffany paint, www.zoffany.com