As her home comes on the market, Alyson Waller describes giving up her day job to focus on renovating a tired Victorian house and garden in Leyton, east London, into a tranquil urban hideaway that feels far removed from the bustle of the city. Check out the sales listing here.

Alyson: “For me, modern living is a sense of space that’s flowing, open and light; it’s functional, sustainable and should make you feel good. Modern living is a freedom of choice in how you want to live.

“As soon as I walked through the front door, I was instantly excited about this house’s proportions, squareness and high ceilings. The light was flooding in and the hallway was big, which is unusual for a Victorian terrace. Even though it hadn’t been touched for over 40 years, I could see its potential.

“Most of the period features were gone, the fireplaces had been taken out and boarded up, there was no coving, and all the internal doors had been covered in sheet laminate. The kitchen was the size of a caravan!

“I found out that in the past 100 years only two families had ever lived in the house, which made me think it had to be a lovely place to live otherwise they wouldn’t have stayed so long. All the fundamental things were there: good light, proportions, orientation and a big garden.

“Built in 1898, it’s not a typical Victorian terrace as the rooms are wider. I think it was built at the beginning of the Edwardian period when the rooms and hallways became larger and squarer. The house stands proud with a strong looking porch, the masonry is not flowery in any way.

“It has lovely square bay windows, which makes it internally very usable, unlike angled bay windows. To me, it seemed special having a front garden with its original box hedge wrapping around. I love the simplicity of the facade and the fact that there’s only one other house on the street that has the same prominence.

“Since moving here there have been lots of change, especially along Francis Road, where there are now boutique shops, coffee shops and a couple of good restaurants. It’s so nice to be able to pop out to get fresh bread locally. 

“The main thing I like about Leyton is that everything is close by; there is so much green space, the parks, Epping Forest, the ponds, the River Lea, Hackney Marshes. The Olympic Park is just an eight-minute cycle away. I love that I can cycle from here along the canal and access all of this.

“I quit my job as an art director because I wanted to do something different, so I focused on the house and ended up, planning, designing and project managing the build of the kitchen and the loft.

“I made lots of drawings, externally and internally. I’m not saying I didn’t need an architect, I did – architects are fundamental to any build if you don’t want your house to fall down – I just didn’t use an architect to aesthetically design the projects.

“I’ve lived here for eight years now and in that time I’ve made quite a few architectural changes. Firstly, I opened up the living room through to the dining room so I could see the back garden. I found original fireplaces in junk shops, restored and reinstated them, bringing character back into the rooms.

“For the focal point in the living room, I added a wood burner. Previously the windows were single glazed and only opened from a small section at the top so I had them changed to wooden double-glazed sash windows. Skirting boards and coving were put back, all the doors stripped back to natural pine, I opened up under the staircase and insulated under the floorboards.

“The original kitchen was tiny. I couldn’t wait to knock it down and start again. It was a major change that achieved a lot of light with floor-to-ceiling sliding doors and a panoramic window giving a sense that the whole garden was inside.

“I definitely got my passion and appreciation for collecting interesting objects and architecture from my father. Growing up, we were always going with him to antique shops and doing something to the house. He would say things like, ‘your mum has gone out, let’s knock that wall down’ and we did.

“This year I designed and finished the loft, which was converted into a self-contained space with a kitchenette and a beautiful en-suite where you can shower while watching the sunset. The loft is like a beautiful warm tree house insulated and externally clad in shou-sugi-ban (charred wood).

“Internally, the ceiling and walls are birch ply with an oak floor. An added extra is the recessed balcony where you can see The Shard, The Gherkin, Canary Wharf, and Alexandra Palace – a full 180-degree view of the London skyline. It entertains me, especially the sky with its ever-changing cloud formations and weather patterns.

“What I love most about the house is the light and how it travels around throughout the day. I love seeing the shadows and reflections playing patterns on the walls. It’s southwest-facing so when the sun is out you can feel it at any point of the day. My road is also very quiet, which is something I value ever so much.

“Now the house is finished, I’m thinking, ‘What now?’! I need another canvas and am dreaming of something completely different. I don’t want anything too big, I’d rather live in a shed and have some land where I could grow cut flowers, have a large vegetable plot, bonfires and possibly a dog. It sounds a bit naff, but a swimming pool would be nice. An insulated shed with a swimming pool, bingo!”