How to tidy a family home in 10 minutes: this architectural director doubled the space of her west London house and built in practical yet elegant storage

"I can tidy my home in 10 minutes,” says Émilie Mauran.

It’s a valid claim to fame when you have four children aged between five and 13 and both she and her husband François work full time.

Émilie’s house is more than just tidy, it’s a study in elegant family living, or “looking good while being practical”, as she puts it. So much so, that as a home designer and project manager, Émilie is routinely sought out by people with kids.

“I was worried I might freak clients out when I was pregnant with number four,” she recalls, smiling, “but they love that I have a big family. They know how organised I have to be, both in my personal life and at work, and it shows in my projects.

“One of my specialities is optimising space with storage and making it well-designed so you can tidy up fast,” she adds. “This is important with children.”

Other practical touches include the bespoke banquette kitchen bench, covered in faux leather. “It takes up less space than chairs,” says Émilie. “I love how the kids crash around on it, without having to worry about them damaging it.”

The couple moved to London from France in 2003 and all four children, Arthur, Alice, Lucie and Juliette, were born here. “They speak fluent English with amazing accents.”

The family moved to this house in 2015, but only after Émilie had more than doubled its volume, turning a two-storey wreck into a four-storey triumph.

“We stripped out the entire house, extended the ground floor, built into the loft and dug out the basement. It was 130 sq m when we first saw it. Now it’s 305 plus a garden studio!”

“I found it much scarier doing my own home than working for someone else,” she says. “It was hard not to become obsessive.”

She jokes that François could be a tough client too. “He knows what he wants, so he was very involved.”

That said, Émilie occasionally took an executive decision — “I knew he wouldn’t like the grey/blue on the living room walls so I didn’t tell him. When he saw it, he said, ‘This is horrible, we can’t keep it like that!’ He loves it now.”

Émilie’s plans for extending were an easier sell. “I wanted the basement to feel part of the house. Basement access is often from the front, so you have stairs under stairs,” she points out.

Here, the stairs are in the middle of the ground floor with glass balustrades. “This was crucial in order to bring in lots of light.”

Glass features again on the ground floor, with an internal window pulling light from the south-facing garden into the dining and living rooms.

“It’s the atelier concept — a very French idea. It means I can keep an eye on the children while cooking and we can enjoy the garden from the living area, without seeing kitchen mess!”

The family uses every scrap of this house, with the generous basement perfect for entertaining. “We had 95 friends over for François’s 40th a few years ago. The sunken area was transformed into a club — the bar was very busy!” Ah yes, they have a bar.

“I’m from the Cognac region of France and my dad and one of my brothers made it. A bar is essential!”

Rest assured, there is no warm ale on tap here. That’s one British tradition Émilie can’t get behind.

Instead, when friends gather in the house, she’ll sip a cognac and tonic before the dancing breaks out. “One third cognac, two thirds tonic and ice.”

You can take a look around Émilie Mauran’s home, which features in Homes & Gardens’ House Tours event,on Thursday 10 and Friday 11 October from 10am-4pm.

There are six homes to explore, most within easy reach of each other in Fulham.

Tour tickets are strictly limited, so book now.

Early bird tickets cost £39 each and are available for a limited time only. Standard tickets cost £50 each.