Sunny side up: House Curious founder brings the laidback Australian look to her Wandsworth home

Sommer Pyne quit a successful career in advertising to turn her sideline of renovating flats into a full-time job. But with the arrival of her second child she realised she needed a business that she could run from home.

House Curious was the result, combining her love of interiors and entertaining by offering online lifestyle shopping plus workshops in everything from photography to home styling to cooking.

When Australian-born Pyne, now 39, moved across the globe from her home city of Sydney 12 years ago to live in London, she soon adopted that most British of pastimes — bingeing on TV home makeover shows.

“I had a major obsession with Property Ladder and Grand Designs, and always dreamed of doing similar projects myself,” she says. And that is exactly what happened.

Eight house and flat renovations later, she took on her biggest project yet, the top-to-bottom renovation of a Victorian property in Wandsworth Common. She bought the house with her husband, Will, 40. The couple already had a daughter, Lyla-Rose, now four, but while approaching completion of work on their home, their second daughter, Indy, was born. She is now nine months old.

“I learned so much from my building projects that when it came to this one I felt confident with the process,” Pyne says. Her life experience on two continents has had a huge impact on her interiors style: “When I moved from Sydney I fell in love with quirky interiors, visiting gastropubs and friends’ flats in London. It was a stark contrast to the modern city apartment I was living in in Sydney.”

But Pyne missed the light, airy, laid-back mode of living in Australia. She wanted a big, airy home in London with loads of light and sunny, open-plan living.

The biggest part of this two-year project was working on the basement, which upset the neighbours. “Understandably, they hated the noise,” she says. “The party wall agreement was tricky and took a lot longer than expected and cost stupid amounts of money. Then it took six months to dig out and tank.

“We’d previously had a small cellar. This became a huge basement [across] the whole footprint of the house, with higher ceilings. It now houses a guest bedroom en suite, cinema room, gym and bar. Floors were a variety of surfaces. The basement was mainly polished concrete with parquet in the cinema room and whitewashed larch in the bedroom.

“The kitchen is my favourite room in our home. It also has a polished concrete floor. It was the first room I designed and I wanted it to be a really welcoming family room. It also has a beautiful hanging chair — perfect for sitting and watching the garden as the seasons change.” There are large, sliding, floor-to-ceiling glass doors and skylights here.

Lighting throughout the house is a mix of modern, vintage and industrial. Pyne says searching for the right lighting is a really time-consuming business but worth the effort, as you are not just considering the look but also the light that is cast, and lighting will set your mood. Dimmers are good because they provide the right atmosphere for different times of the day or night.

If you lose confidence when planning your lighting, get an expert in to help. They very often come free as part of the big stores’ service to customers.

On the first floor, Pyne removed the old bathroom to create the couple’s large master bedroom with walk-in wardrobes and open-plan bathroom. “It is our sanctuary — the place we retreat to after a busy day, when the children are in bed.”

The next task was to remove the staircase and replace it with an industrial-style one made in concrete and clad in wood.

Though Pyne has built a sizeable Instagram following, she’s wary of looking to social media for inspiration. She says: “To keep interiors fresh, you want to be looking for ideas from all around you, the fashion world and from travel. And don’t get too hung up on trends.

“There are so many things that shape our lives and personal style — the places where we eat, clubs, pubs. Every home should reflect the personality of its owner.”

Her own style is quite bold, but she adds: “I don’t believe in being different for the sake of it. If you’re true to your own creative instinct, the design will reflect this and feel right and unique.”

Pyne says the best interiors advice anyone ever gave her was: “Use paint bravely. Don’t be afraid to paint whole rooms dark — including the ceiling.” Some of her favourite dark paint colours are Blackened, Hague Blue and Railings, all by Farrow & Ball, and Gotham City, a rich grey by Valspar, which she used in the bar.

She bought her furniture and accessories from MADE.com for its good value and original ideas: “I love these pieces because they’re well designed and they feel contemporary, but with nods to the past. You’ll notice that most of my storage units have an industrial style that brilliantly complements opulent velvets, of which I’m also a fan.”

To see more homes like Sommer Pyne’s, visit made.com/inspiration

SOMMER’S TIPS

Her biggest indulgence? “The bar named after my grandparents, Scotch and Ted.”

Where should you spend the money? “On paint. Darker colours can really transform a space. Grey is a fresh update. If you’re going dark and bold, Blackened [a cool white with a hint of grey] by Farrow & Ball is really impressive. I’ve used it throughout bedrooms, kitchen and hallways for serious impact.”

There’s a broad use of colour throughout the couple’s home, from blush pink to inky blues on the walls. “In the bedroom I wanted to feel relaxed and serene, so it’s all whitewashed floors and dusty pink velvets,” says Pyne. “Each room has its own personality but there is a flow and rhythm throughout the house.”

GET THE LOOK