See how this family home has become a suburban oasis
'The patio has a more modern boho feel,' says Sarah. 'We wanted it to feel like an outdoor living room.” Pictures: Moya Nolan
There's word on the grapevine about a TV series coming our way this autumn with a sustainability focus and the joys of skip-diving, charity shops and upcycling.
One of the designers involved, who’s keeping schtum when I probe, is Sarah Twigg-Doyle of Retwigged Interior & Visual Styling, who made her name on Instagram with her own home reflecting a love of vintage, upcycling and plant life.
A Surrey native, she met her husband Gavin from Bray in London, but a move to Gavin’s home town saw them purchase a three-bedroomed German-made kit house by Hanse Haus in 2008 for their family including, Noah, now 17, and Olivia, 13.
Although Sarah says they’re living cheek by jowl with suburbia, you certainly wouldn’t know it from her vintage style and restful green colour palette, or even the beautifully landscaped garden in full bloom.
“I wanted a period property, but the house had a lovely homely wooden smell like Ikea when I saw it," says Sarah. "It felt warm and dry and it’s always 21 degrees.
To put her own print on it she started by replacing an all-yellow interior with a white makeover.
“I then started picking up vintage bits and pieces which led to doing pop-up shops,” she says. “Then I started to be asked to do people’s houses.”
So, while her business took off she was also working her way through her own home.
“Once you do one room you get a bit braver,” she says. “It’s trial and error, or as Gavin says, ’it’s guerilla DIY’.”
With the house scant on features, just inside the front door is where Sarah starts to create still-life visuals with a gathering of plants backed by botanical wallpaper.
It’s repeated at the end of the hall to draw the eye through the house and provide interest in the hall where there’s no natural light bar what filters through the stairwell and adjacent rooms.
“It had been the hallway of doom with awful textured wallpaper,” Sarah explains.
Hanging art above the stairs also draws the eye, much of it painted by Gavin.
Upstairs two bedrooms are occupied by slumbering teenagers, but the main bedroom has a fetching vintage-style bedframe bought new, sitting with a freebie chest of drawers from Facebook Marketplace, accessorised with a charity shop mirror and a modern lamp.
Moving to the rear of the house a kitchen and dining area is where Sarah uses green more vividly on walls, on kitchen cabinetry, and even doors. It’s an idea to steal for smaller kitchens to create uniformity and the illusion of more space.
It’s at this point she gives insight into how her love of vintage developed. “I got it from my mother and Gavin from his dad. He’s 92 but he’ll skip dive and carry something home on his bike.”
Given it’s summer, her patio provides inspiration for outdoor living blending style with eco-friendly choices.
Gavin has made a box for outdoor cushions, the table and the outdoor kitchen from planks.
“The patio has a more modern boho feel,” Sarah explains. “We wanted it to feel like an outdoor living room.”
To mimic Sarah’s patio style, she says, “Create a comfy seating area that can also be used for dining. We’ve added a seating set that can be moved around as we need. I even hang a bamboo shade over the table to make it look like a dining space.”
An outdoor rug zones the area even though Gavin was sceptical.
“Now he loves it as much as I do,” she says. “It’s perfect for shoes-off relaxing moments. Lighting makes a difference too.
"We use solar lighting throughout the garden to allow summer evenings to linger past dusk.
"LED candles are brilliant for your lanterns and table; the advantage is they don’t blow out like regular candles.”
Texture for Sarah is also key in achieving the indoor look outdoors.
“I just bring them from inside. I love the Madam Stolz mattresses for creating the boho vibe which I use on my seats, then layer up with cushions and throws, and I always have plenty of blankets on standby.”
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