VKH Has Moved!!

VKH has undergone a bit of a makeover! 

I now have a brand new site and blog at
verykerryh.com

See you there!

PROPERTY PORN EXTRA - MY ULTIMATE ADDRESS

To live on Highbury Hill in Islington is the dream.  Number 30, Highbury Hill to be precise.  

Every time I walk past I gaze longingly up the immaculate paved driveway to the impressive front door and wonder what it would be like to live in such grandeur.  Number 30 is, in my mind, the perfect London pad.  
Spread over three floors this is a fine example of a mid-Victorian property.  It has the high ceilings and period features one would expect and has been restored to the highest quality by the current owners.  However, given its status as one of the most significant houses in Highbury, it retains an air of understated elegance.

And now this 7 bedroom, 3 bathroom gem is for sale.  Wanna have a nose round? Of course you do!


The 21'x15' drawing room, below, is (like the rest of the house) tastefully decorated in muted tones and is light and airy.  I just love the huge windows and marble fireplace.
The dining room sits at the front of the property and can comfortably house a table for 10 or even 12.  

In the family-sized kitchen black granite worktops complement the simple shaker-style units and an aga fills the fireplace.  The modest island unit doesn't overwhelm the space, giving plenty of room for manoeuvre.

The lower ground floor hosts a gym/recreation room and storage room that would no doubt swallow my flat whole.

The beautifully landscaped garden sits beyond a sunny terrace that's perfect for entertaining.

Given its grand proportions there is nothing showy or flash about this property - I like that  the owners have maintained a certain level of class.  

There is very little I would change in this house, which is probably just as well because I wouldn't have much left over after paying the £6.75m price tag!

Can anyone lend me £6,749,000??

30 Highbury Hill is for sale through Savills

DOING-IT-MYSELF (Part 1)

Last weekend, with the help of my friend Paul,  I spent two days outside in the glorious sunshine painting the exterior of my flat.  It is a job that I have been meaning to do for several years - the window frames were in serious need of some TLC - but it is only now that I'm getting it ready to put on the market that I have found time to do it.

Unlike most lower ground floor flats in London mine has a rather large south-facing patio area to the front.  This is because, as an end of terrace, the 'front' entrance is actually on the side of the building. 

Fill, sand, paint, repeat!

This is one of the aspects that persuaded Mr VKH and I to buy the flat in the first place (along with the potential for modernising the interior), but I never quite got round to maximising the utility of the space.

It is ideal for a bike shed but, after mine got stolen a few years ago, I moved Mr's inside and it has remained there, unused, ever since.  

I love a bit of upcycling so when Paul produced an old tin of Hammerite that he'd found at home, I was determined to find a use for it.  We inherited a couple of plant racks when we moved in and although I have attempted to make use of them every summer they could look better.

It was a fiddly job but now instead of a rusty green/blue they are a lovely hammered grey.  Très urban chic!  All I have to do is dress them with some colourful flowers, cue a Sunday morning trip to Columbia Road flower market.

Nice shiny railings!

This week, weather permitting, I shall paint the masonry and finish dressing the space with a few plants and accessories - watch this space for the 'after' pics.

Now that I'm faced with the prospect of leaving this place, I've suddenly become quite fond of it.  I'm doing all the little niggly jobs that I've just never gotten round to, like changing the light switches and fixing the gate.  

I want prospective buyers to see that although it wasn't right for me it could be right for them.  

Or maybe I'll just get a lodger and stay ;-)

LINEN LOVIN'

Image via Pinterest

So, in keeping with my new design philosophy (see All Change Please! ) I seem to have developed a rather unhealthy obsession with natural linen bedding.

Previously, I was a stickler for crisp white egyptian cotton and would insist on steam-ironing my sheets and duvet covers before allowing them anywhere near the bed.  Then, a couple of years ago, I purchased a linen bedding set in The White Company sale and the iron has remained in the cupboard ever since!

My favourite thing about pure linen bedding (apart from being able to pretend I'm sleeping in a French farmhouse!) is that it's the complete antithesis of the 'show home' look that I strived to achieve for so long.  It's supposed to look a bit crumpled and casual - and I love it!  It's the interior equivalent of 'bed-head' hair.

The arduous manufacturing process goes some way to explain why pure linen textiles can be so expensive (The Linen Works prices start at around £95 for a single flat sheet) but it is durable and strong yet lightweight, cool and fresh for summer yet warming in the winter.  It is also relatively easy to care for and gets smoother the more it is washed.  

Image via Pinterest

If you can afford good quality linen it will be a worthy investment.  But if you're after the cosy feel without the hefty price tag there are options to suit every budget.  Check out my three of the best, below:

BUDGET:  H&M Home 

Linen duvet set (double) - £59.99

Premium quality duvet and two pillowcases, available in white, light grey, light beige, dark grey and dark blue.

MID-RANGE: Loaf

'Lazy Linen' duvet cover (double) - £140

Crushed Belgian linen, available in white, dusty pink, light grey and natural.

HIGH-END: The Linen Works

Duvet cover (double) - £170

100% washed linen, available in Classic White, Cassis Rose, Toulon Grey, Parisian Blue and Lens Charcoal

WELL HEAL-ED

The other day I was at a bit of a loose end so I decided to head in to town for a browse.  It's been a while since I checked out the big stores and, with summer around the corner, it seemed a perfect time to see what they've got to offer.

Walking up Tottenham Court Road I have to admit that nothing much caught my eye in West Elm, Dwell or even Lombok so it was left to my 'happy shops' to impress me - Habitat and Heal's.   Like Holly Golightly in Breakfast At Tiffany's, these are my go to furniture stores for those days when I have the 'mean reds'.

Bearing in mind my new design philosophy (see previous post) Habitat, with it's neon brights and clean lines, is probably not where I should be looking.   I am trying to be mindful not to buy anything that will clash with my restful 'dream scheme'!

So, even though I am partial to a bit of colour,  I managed to stay pretty unfazed by this season's products: these are not the droids I am looking for.

Heal's, on the other hand, is a different kettle of fish.  Like when an incredibly hot guy winks at you and says 'you have the Kavorka', Heal's has the ability to make me lose all my senses and go a bit funny, wanting everything in sight, whether it fits my scheme or not.  

To that end, this is somewhat of a Lust List Heal's Special.  I have managed to narrow down my choices however, otherwise I may just as well post a link to the website!

Living Room

'40 Winks' sofabed, £1495

'Indah' leather hide rug by Linie Design, £835

'Loha' rug by Kangan Arora (also available in indigo), £395

Bedroom

'Twiitter' Lamp, £120

100% Linen bed linen in Dove Grey by The Linen Works,
from £38 for an Oxford pillowcase

Dining Room

'Hot Mesh' chair by Blu Dot (also available in blue, red, black,
yellow and green), £135

For more information visit http://www.heals.co.uk

ALL CHANGE PLEASE!

I can't believe it's almost mid-April! 

So far 2015 has not been too kind and I'm bracing myself for some big changes in the months ahead.  But, I intend to embrace them as a new beginning and am trying to see the positive side - my new found love for Bikram yoga is teaching me to condition my mind as well as my body and I have a few good friends propping me up and gently nudging me forward.

As always when it's time for change, enforced or voluntary, I feel the need for a bloody good clear-out.  I quite often spend hours wandering around my flat looking for things that I can get rid of but, although I'm not particularly sentimental about possessions, it mostly proves a fruitless search.  Perhaps it's my state of mind or maybe just my age but more often these days I'm feeling that simplicity is key to my happiness.  To that end, I'm going to have a go at streamlining my life: chucking out the the things I don't need - stress, negativity, bad influences - and leaving only the things that can help me on my way - calmness, positivity and good vibes. 

One of the biggest changes coming my way is going to be somewhere new to live.  As a freelancer I spend a lot of time at home and so it seems natural to want a place that will fill me with a sense of peace.  Living in London I think it's especially important to be able to escape from the hubbub.  

I have a vision of what I want my new home to be like and this, dear readers, is it:

Photo: Paul Massey

This is the Primrose Hill home of photographer Paul Massey.  I first came across these images when it was featured in Living Etc a year or so ago and, whilst on a furious Pinterest pinning session searching for 'Pale and interesting', they cropped up again.  

I love colour - one can't be as obsessed with India as I am and not - but I can't live with it.   I have tried, believe me, but it makes me edgy and I always find myself hankering after a cool, calm space with natural textures and an element of rusticity. 

Photo: Paul Massey

This apartment is what some estate agents might term as 'bijou' but it just goes to show that by creating a cohesive colour scheme using a mixture of off-white, grey and taupe, and by limiting possessions to only what is useful and/or beautiful, one can make even the smallest home feel airy and spacious.

Photo: Paul Massey

Simple rustic benches in the kitchen area keep the look streamlined and are easily tucked away under the table to create more space when not in use.  The ceiling has been stripped back to the rafters to give the illusion of extra height which allows for a low-hanging dining light without it dominating the space.

Photo: Paul Massey

The look continues through to the bedroom, further enhancing the feeling of space. 

Furniture is kept simple and  antique linens adorn the bed.

Photo: Paul Massey

Gone is my obsession with show-home style perfection -  after a lot of soul searching, I can now admit it was a manifestation of my need for control.  I'm looking forward to having a more relaxed home that I feel happy to be in.

As Bikram yoga teaches us, happiness is not a destination but the means by which we travel.  If I can recreate something similar to this in my new place I may not be in Nirvana - but I'll at least be enjoying the journey! 

To see more of Paul Massey's photography and other design projects visit his website at: 

http://paulmassey.me/photography/

Loft Loving

So 2015 is upon us and, for me, January is about forgetting the year that has gone and looking ahead.

This is my most optimistic month as I think about what I want for the new year: hopes and plans begin to formulate in my head, many of which will remain just that, but one has to dream!

In the cold, dark months of winter I yearn for light and space and, having lived in a basement flat for four and a half years, this is becoming something of an obsession.  Although I love period properties with their cornicing and fireplaces, lately I have been dreaming of loft living: high ceilings, massive windows, wooden floors and exposed brick? Oh, go on then. 

I never thought I would be a fan of open plan living either but since this is what I've got I have embraced it and actually spend more time perched cross-legged on one of the Singer stools at my kitchen island than I do on my sofa.  Coupled with my other current obsession for white/grey Scandi interiors I am totally dreaming of living the classic East London artist/designer, live/work space cliché.  

So, in somewhat of an extended property porn feature, here are a few on my 'to view' list (should I win the lottery!):

3-bed flat, Hertsmere Rd, E14 - £2.1m ( MV Properties)

2-bed flat, Execution Dock, E1 - £3.65m (Cluttons)

3-bed flat, Limehouse Wharf, E14 - £1.495m (Estates & Lets)

2-bed mews house, Heneage St, E1 - £1.7m (Hamptons)

2-bed flat, Morris Road, E14 - £975,000 (Felicity J Lord)

Best go and buy that ticket.  Happy New Year!