All photography by Kate McCabe
Standing in the impressive hallway of a Georgian property in 2016, Kate McCabe and her husband Lee knew the house they were viewing would make the ideal home for them and their son, Toby. I was lucky enough to interview Kate while writing with Reclaim magazine and she told me all about their renovation…
Despite the dated décor and the dark dank bathroom, the couple could see the potential in the period building and instantly felt at home. ‘We knew it was the one for us straight away,’ remembers Kate. ‘I had such a good feeling about the house. I love living here.’
With an arched doorway, ornate plasterwork and ceiling roses, Minton tiles and the original polished wood handrail on the staircase, it’s easy to see why period-fan Kate was enamoured by the spacious entryway and resolved to purchase the property.
‘We found this massive mirror in a second-hand furniture shop and I knew it would be perfect for our hallway,’ Kate recollects. ‘It’s one of my best purchases ever and looks fantastic in the space. It really opens up the room and welcomes you in.’
Situated in the coastal town of Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, the location offered the family the best-of-both worlds; peaceful and relaxing but not too quiet, with plenty of family-friendly activities nearby and just a five-minute stroll to the sandy beach.
A survey revealed that the property was structurally sound, reassuring Kate and Lee that the renovation would be purely cosmetic. ‘Every room needed decorating.The worst room was the bathroom, it was so gloomy’. After moving in, the couple prioritised remodelling this room, along with the unappealing kitchen.
They stripped all the wallpaper and painted throughout. Kate’s first aim was to brighten up the interior to give the property a fresh and airy feel, opting for natural colours like B&Q’s Limerick green in the living room and crisp whites for the original window panelling, cornices and woodwork.
Stepping further into the property, the formal rooms are decorated with peaceful soft furnishings in subtle tones that allow the period décor to shine, with Kate’s favourite space being the snug. ‘It’s where we spend a lot of our time. It has French doors onto the garden and lots of light coming in’.
With the aim of bringing the outside in and vice versa, the couple chose parquet flooring that echoed the herringbone brickwork outside the patio doors and decided to create multiple spaces within their garden for relaxation.
They even took their cooking outdoors, with Lee building a fully functioning outdoor kitchen. ‘Everything inside it is second hand. From the dresser to the table and chairs, crockery and even the kettle!’ enthuses Kate. ‘It’s such a nice area to sit in, even if it’s raining.’
Kate felt it was important to reinstate period details throughout the property, including a classic AGA in the kitchen and cast-iron radiators.
She gave the kitchen cabinets a new lease of life by painting them in Craig & Rose’s ‘Pullman Green’ to continue the heritage effect. The kitchen opens up onto the dining room with its characterful glass panelled door and wood-burning stove.
The natural wood chairs around the dining table were some of Kate’s favourite Facebook Marketplace finds and, for a contemporary touch in this area, Kate added glass shelves to the arched alcoves either side of the original fireplace.
This gave the original built-in storage a lighter touch and provides space for Kate to display her collections of glassware and crockery without the addition of new furniture. ‘I’ve been a car boot and charity shopper for most of my life and love showing off my second hand finds.’
Kate also loves to arrange plenty of thrifted vases of flowers to reflect the changing seasons, which ensure a fresh feel in each room of the home alongside her favourite houseplants.
Her enthusiasm for period design extends to the bathrooms, where she incorporated a traditional roll-top tub in the bathroom and a high cistern system sourced from eBay, bringing a touch of vintage splendour to these functional rooms.
Her tips for enhancing period character include using archive colours on the walls and woodwork, and choosing antique furniture to create a mix of old and new.
When it came to selecting wallpaper and bedding for the bedrooms she opted for leafy and floral patterns, further demonstrating her love of botanicals. Lee hung the ‘Nuit Blush’ paper while Kate painted the walls and picture rails in ‘Sugar Fix’ pink, both from Graham & Brown.
‘My mum was an artist and interior designer so there was a huge influence there. I love complimenting the original features but not over complicating a space with simple but beautiful decor.’
The resulting rooms prove that a Georgian interior can be bright and energetic without losing the charm and period character of the original property.
Check out Kate McCabe’s YouTube channel for home and garden hauls and seasonal décor or follow her home renovation updates on Instagram @Katesgeorgianhome. What’s your favourite detail from her interior? Please leave me a comment below to let me know what you love. 🙂
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