“I started working as a labourer when I was very young, before getting into carpentry, furniture making and then design,” says Emile Jones. A youth spent on building sites followed by years of training has provided him with not only a vision, but much of the requisite know-how to create a home of his own. The perfect opportunity for Emile to put this into practice came when he and his partner, Marielle Misson Pereira, a merchandiser, set out to buy their first place together. “I felt like I’d been waiting 27 years to put my own ideas into action,” he says.

The anticipation was worth it. In 2020, the couple found just the place they’d been looking for: a one-bed with a garden in a 1950s purpose-built block between Peckham and New Cross in south-east London. Over four years, they’ve created a hardworking home by thoughtfully renovating the interiors – from raising ceilings to removing walls – and gently tending to the outdoor space. Now in pursuit of a second bedroom and the prospect of a bigger project, Emile and Marielle are moving on, with rescue cats Hazel and Fluffy in tow. As their home comes on the market, they reflect on how they transformed a blank canvas into a brilliantly functional and fluid space.

Marielle: “We had been renting with a friend in Kilburn for about three years before moving in here; it was to be the first time we’d ever had our own space. We were pretty set on being somewhere around Peckham, Camberwell or New Cross, as most of our friends were living south of the river.”

Emile: “We were keen to find something purpose-built with some outdoor space, somewhere we could do a bit of work, so this flat ticked a lot of boxes. There was nothing really wrong with it when we moved in, but it had that developer’s touch, with the laminate floor and the white kitchen. Our original plan was to do everything in six months, but instead the space has slowly evolved over four years.

“The garden was massively overgrown, so we used that incredible spell of weather in the first lockdown to redesign it. Marielle spent most of her furlough out there, sifting through soil and planting. We kept the yucca tree and the behemoth rosemary bush, which is brilliant for cooking. I have to cut it with hedge trimmers.

“We’ve done a huge amount of work in the flat that isn’t necessarily obvious, from raising the ceiling in the hallway to ripping out all the central heating and taking out the wall between the kitchen and the living area. We considered sliding doors, but ended up going for a curtain as I’m really interested in the way it blurs the line between rooms.

“We thought about doing a terrazzo floor, but we wanted to use materials that were sympathetic to the flat. We did search for more of the beautiful yellow tiles that are in the building’s main stairwell for the bathroom, which we couldn’t find anywhere. But we also found old linoleum tiles under the flooring, so we went with Marmoleum. ”

Marielle: “As the flat is south-facing, we get sun all day. In the winter, when it’s low, the room just fills with light. We knew it might be difficult to find an outdoor space in London, so we thought we might need to settle for a place that was bright, with big windows. I’m from Brazil, so I’m used to the sun. In the end, we got lucky.”

Emile: “It’s lovely to have the garden so close to the main room because you have that view. In the summer you feel like you’ve got double the floor space – we just spill outside. Behind our garden is an open square that the residents have turned into a wild meadow. We’ve planted fruit trees and I make elderflower champagne. I grew up in Somerset, and in the summer, when I’m playing around with that elderflower tree, I feel a little bit of the south-west with me.”

Marielle: “I’ll miss the neighbours here and the fact that it’s super quiet. One of the best things about the flat itself is its functionality. We really thought about everything, down to the position of the plugs – we don’t have a microwave, but debated where someone might want a socket for one in the future.”

Emile: “We’re definitely going to stay within a mile or two of this area. I’ve got a studio in Catford and there are all sorts of industries around that you’d never find in an equivalent area of north London: jewellery makers, metalcasters, a marble manufacturer. There’s a stonemason at the end of this road, which I’ve found massively useful for work.

“We want our next project to include some building so we can change the space ourselves. That’s the real driver. We say we’re going to be sensible and pay a builder to do it, but once we get the place I’ll probably start digging the foundations.”

Is there a home for sale on The Modern House that’s caught your eye recently?

Emile: “Drake Court II is an amazing place! Firstly, the building is beautiful and then the interior has been so sympathetically done. The main living space has lots of natural light and the floor plan has been really well thought out. Love it!”