When artist Laura Wallace left Yorkshire for London after university, she never expected to return two decades later to live in her dream house, right next door to the one in which she’d grown up – and where her parents still live. ‘I’ve admired this house all my life,’ Laura explains, ‘but I never imagined I’d actually get to live here. I always loved its simple but solid Arts and Crafts design, the proportions and the old Yorkshire stone; and when I viewed the house on the inside, I knew it would make a wonderful family home, and the single-storey gym the previous owners had added could become the perfect art studio.’
Laura didn’t just return for the house, however, she was also ready to exchange the buzz of the city for the glorious views she’d enjoyed as a child, and to share them with her husband Mark, a fellow Northerner, and their three children, who were eager to live closer to their grandparents. ‘I always think you know where you fit in, but you also know where you belong,’ says Laura. ‘I loved London, but my heart was always here.’
Although the house had been lovingly restored by its previous owners, Laura had clear ideas about how to transform it into a more relaxed family home. ‘It was carved into many incredibly elegant but separate rooms. We wanted to open it up so that we could keep an eye on everyone and no one would feel shut off from the rest of the family.’ The kitchen was a good solid design with a practical layout, so Laura just freshened it up with a few tins of Farrow & Ball paint.
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‘I’ve seen how styles have come in and out of fashion,’ she says. ‘If you go too pristine and modern in your home you’ll be forever trying to keep up with all the latest trends – and you’ll never feel you can kick off your wellies and relax on the sofa.’ A more eclectic approach, she says, makes you less precious. ‘Plus, you can easily move pieces from room to room when you fancy a change.’
This carefree approach to rearranging is something she’s done from one house to the next. She is a firm believer that if things are chosen with love, no matter how random they might seem, they can be made to work, especially if you complete the room with the right artwork. ‘A colourful piece can really pull it all together.’
Before becoming an artist, Laura was an interior designer for Harrods, where she formed a love of exquisitely beautiful designs by Cole & Son, Robert Kime, Colefax & Fowler and the like. ‘I worked on dozens of projects in my early career,’ says Laura, adding that many were very contemporary schemes, even though her personal taste is more timeless.
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‘I’ve always been drawn to patterns and colours that are forgiving of wear and that will age well.’ The curtains in the kitchen, drawing room and guest room prove her point: they came from their London townhouse and, with a few minor alterations, they fit the windows perfectly. ‘They also work with the antiques that Mark and I have inherited from our families, and the treasures we’ve found for ourselves at auctions, fairs and abroad.’
Laura began painting after the couple’s first child was born. ‘I love having fresh flowers on every table and in many of my paintings. I cut blooms from the garden and arrange them in one of my favourite vases to create a still life to capture on canvas. I’m also inspired by our travels up to Scotland.’ Mark’s family have a holiday home in Orkney, and Laura loves sketching the ever-changing sea and sky while the rest of the clan go fishing, walking and swimming.
Laura’s house is something of a ‘live-in gallery’, which allows clients to see how her works look in a real domestic setting. ‘If you’re going to invest in art, you need to know how it will work surrounded by furniture and other collections,’ she says. ‘Scale is so important, and this is hard to appreciate in a gallery with double-height ceilings and all-white walls.’
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Laura understands buying art can feel like an expensive investment. She knows all too well that after paying for builders, materials and other essentials, there isn’t often much left to spend on original works of art, so she’s developed some affordable options, including limited-edition prints.
‘I think everyone deserves to be surrounded by things that bring them joy,’ she says. ‘Objects that make them smile when they walk into a room. These pieces we choose can really lift our spirits if we select them with care and love, and I believe that is what making a home is all about.’
