Hairdresser and stylist Siobhan lives here with her Graphic Designer husband Leroy, their two beautiful girls Amelie, 5 and Esmee, 3 with the delightful Ozzie the dog! Check out Amelie and Esmee’s bedroom from our last MY Room tour here.

I first met Siobhan a few years back at a child’s party. Her vibe was cool and trendy, yet relaxed. I was later introduced to her properly by a friend and having shared some life experiences together we kind of hit it off. The first time I saw her house I was overwhelmed by how it reflected their personalty and how far the design and style and a few well chosen pieces of furniture goes. I seriously love this house. The family that lives here are beautiful inside and out and it was the house that inspired this website. We all just want to nose around other people’s homes, you know the ones that make you gasp or give you a fussy feeling inside, big or small and we want to know how other people live stylishly with kids. This house is not really big or showy but it’s contemporary, fashionable and effortlessly homely all at the same time. Thank you for sharing it with us!

This was my parents house. They lived here, but after they died we couldn’t sell it when the market collapsed.  I remortgaged, bought my brother out and we decided to stay and renovated it as our own home. Now we are so in love with the house I can’t see myself moving. I feel connected to my parents here. There are plants in the garden they planted. Things live on here.  That makes it really special.

We started the renovations when I was just a few months pregnant with Esmee and ended up pretty much as she arrived! Hours before she came Leroy was still painting!

We had floors levelled, knocked down walls and replastered everywhere. We also added a log burner to our lounge which we love. Next we’d like to replace our conservatory and add a skylight roof instead.

The family room and kitchen is the hub of this home. It has to be my favourite room. We spend most of time in here. If we have dinner parties or people over we always end up in here.

I have a few favourite pieces. My new lamp and our Habitat Rocker are probably at the top of the list at the moment, though the girls love their Lou Lou pink ghost chairs.

I love chairs, I’d have them everywhere but I have nowhere else to put them. You need space for a chair to look good.

The kids love this room too. We try and keep the kids and Ozzy away from the lounge and instead use it for movie night with the family. Though I emphasize the word try!

Leroy and I are lucky. We have really similar taste and most stuff we have bought together but if I really love something and he is not so sure, I can usually persuade him.

The garden is a really special space for us too. We love to just potter around in it. This kitchen and family room has a great flow and I can see the kids in the garden easily from the kitchen.

We have a lot of design influences. Wallpaper magazine, pubs, hotels – especially in the bathrooms. We based our downstairs loo on the bathroom in The Hoxton.

We love the style at the Crazy Bear in Oxford too.

Some rooms in the house we organised eclectically adding bits at a time until it all came together and others we did all in one go. I think creating a home is a real labour of love and it doesn’t always happen overnight.

Working day:

6.30am Get up and walk the dog on my own – Ozzy our Weinerama. On weekends I take the kids with me but in the week its far too hectic.

Then I get home, get the kids ready, have breakfast and we are out by 8am. I take Esmee to nursery and Amelie to school.

I’m home by 9.10 and usually have my first client at 9.30am. I work pretty much until 3 when I pick up Amelie from school and then usually have another client at 4pm.

It’s great that I have my little salon room upstairs. I love having the ability to work from my home.

Leroy works as a graphic designer. He has a studio at home too he works from ,  unless he is with clients,  so its offers us great flexibility with the kids.

That’s the best part of all really.  Being able to pick up your kids from school and go to work. I’m sure these days that pretty much counts as living the dream!

Photography by Louise Freeland