Words Billie Brand
Photography Ellen Christina Hannock

It’s a drizzly summer morning in Dulwich, south-east London, but that doesn’t put a dampener on our visit to the home of Angus and Sarah Shepherd. Welcoming us into their 1960s bungalow, the couple show us their cheery scheme, which induce smiles all round. There are vibrant knick-knacks and artsy textiles aplenty, which stand out against the white walls and wooden accents of the meticulously renovated building. As a director at Powell Tuck Associates and a interiors consultant respectively, Angus and Sarah have crafted a series of spaces that are equally calming and creative, put together and full of personality. Of his home, Angus says, “it reflects who I am as an architectural designer.” But it also showcases Sarah’s eye for colour: “I’m very confident with it,” she adds, wearing a bubblegum-pink dress. “And I love to have it everywhere.”

Angus and Sarah have called this place home since 2006. They had been living in a townhouse in north London with their two young boys, Sid and Jimmy, and were searching for extra room and more greenery. Though they hadn’t considered crossing the river before, a friend made a case for it and, a few visits later, they fell for this lush part of the city. When they came to view this bungalow, however, a modernist gem on Austin Vernon & Partner’s Dulwich Estate, surprisingly it was Angus who needed convincing. “It needed a whole number,” he says. But the couple concluded they were up for the challenge and have never looked back. Now, nearly two decades later, Angus and Sarah invite us round for a tour, reflect on the changes they’ve made and tell us how their home has evolved as their family has grown.

Angus: “We started our family in our previous home, which was an early Victorian end-of-terrace house in Islington. It’s very urban there and we decided we wanted to live somewhere greener, but still be in the city. We had some good friends living in East Dulwich at the time and they said: ‘Come down here, you’ll love it!’ Turns out there was a whole side of south London that we weren’t aware of.”

Sarah: “We’d also had enough of living in a period building. So, when we saw this 1960s house, we thought: ‘This is interesting.’ I never thought I’d live in a bungalow, nor in this part of London. We barely knew it existed. But as soon as I saw this place, I was all in. I thought it was amazing. Angus was a little more hesitant.”

Angus: “I knew the house needed a lot of work…”

Sarah: “It was completely carpeted – even the loos! But the space itself was great, so we went for it. When we moved in, we ended up living here for five years before we did any work to it. The whole thing needed doing, so there was no point doing it bit by bit.

“When we began the renovation, we moved out and rented a place in Lings Coppice, which is also part of the Dulwich Estate. Because we were so close, we were able to come back and watch as it was transformed. It was great. The children were young then and they loved the experience. At one stage there was a big digger in the living room, which was exciting for them. We were all very much involved in the process. The work took slightly over a year.”

Angus: “We didn’t want to be on top of each other all the time, so we decided to create another layer of space, by adding a basement, which we now use as a living room and cinema. There’s also extra storage space and a shower room down there too. The brick wall that extends down to it and forms the back of the kitchen is completely new, though it feels in keeping with the original building. The old kitchen was where the dining room now is – it was a brick-fronted thing and it felt like it was a demo area straight out of an old-fashioned cook show.

“We completely refurbished the interiors. We added full-height sliding doors to divide the living room, and timber floors to most of the living spaces except for the kitchen, dining area and bathrooms, where we went for tiles. One of the big things we did was introduce full-height windows throughout.”

Sarah: “I love the windows, particularly the ones in the living area, which is one of my favourite spots. I often sit on the sofa and look out to the sky and the leaves. I love how close the greenery is planted to the house, particularly the maple tree – its leaves get even brighter in the autumn. I love how the window frames it like a picture.”

Angus: “The orientation of the living room is just right. It’s east-facing, so the sun comes through the window in the morning and then it’s shielded later in the day. Despite its orientation, the garden is beautifully light and gets the sun all day, because of the surrounding low-rise houses. It’s completely private and it’s not overlooked at all.”

Sarah: “There are beautiful views all over the house. I really like looking from our bathroom through the sliding door to our bedroom. And I like the view from my office straight through the house and to the dining room. There are lots of pleasing spaces and no-dead end rooms. Everything flows. Even the spaces that are separate feel connected through the sight lines. But, thanks to the sliding doors, we can close the rooms off too.”

Angus: “Designing the doors involved hours of drawing, but they bring us so much joy. I love them because they can completely change a space – it can go from feeling very private to open and airy.”

Sarah: “Our sons have thrown a lot of parties here – they’ll be down in the basement and we’ll shut off the rest of the house so that we’re not disturbed. We’ve also had some good gatherings here ourselves – we’ve hosted lots of dos. It’s a great entertaining space.”

Angus: “When it came to the interiors, we started off with a very simple palette, so the house could take whatever wanted it to decoration-wise, including all of Sarah’s stuff! We don’t have one set style – it’s definitely a mix.”

Sarah: “We have gathered a lot of things from our travels. I’ve worked overseas with retailers and brands in places like Japan and South-East Asia and I have brought many things back. I love objects and textiles with lots of patterns and colour. They’re a very instinctive choice for me – I really enjoy being around them and I love working with them.

“I was listening to an interesting conversation on the radio the other day about fast furniture. The sofa, for instance, was Angus’ auntie’s, but we had it reinvigorated with new fabric. Another one we bought from Heal’s in the 1990s and have had it reupholstered three or four times. I bought the 1950s Luxus hunting chairs in the living room for Angus’ 40th birthday – they are still going strong!

“Another space I love is my office. Me and my great pal, Nancy Rhode, launched our table linen business, Anart Cuirm, during the pandemic. We do most of our design work in my office and we love working there. The layout of the house means I can look out through the plants in the front garden to the other side of the house, which is great. It’s a real escape when it’s closed off from the rest of the house too. It’s usually very messy, but I always know where everything is, so it works for me.

“Having lived in a mid-century building like this, I think I’d have trouble going back to a period home – if I did, it would have to have a nice view like ours here. But I don’t think I’d ever want to leave here. I really love it.”

Angus: “It’s such a peaceful, calming house to be in. The house very much reflects the work we do at Powell Tuck Associates, where space, proximities, light and proportion are all considered.”