When Emma Pocock, a designer, and her husband, Ben Clarkson, found this London property, formerly inhabited by students and untouched since the 1980s, she realised she’d have to think outside the box. Her approach has been one of creating clean lines – think white-painted floorboards and simple plantation shutters – and introducing flashes of inspiration with patterns or texture. “I wanted to try to maximise interest in everyroom,”she says.

A distressed cabinet brings the old-rustic feel to the room.
The kitchen-diner is a good example. Extending it was the obvious solution to gain space and light, but Emma, cofounder of interior design company Turner Pocock,was determined to create a slightly industrial