Singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor welcomed us all inside her home when she launched our lockdown savior, Kitchen Disco.
As she performed her biggest hits in the kitchen of her West London home, we got a glimpse of her glorious wallpaper choices and quirky furniture.
It turns out Sophie has long had a passion for eccentric design choices.
As part of My First Home, the singer tells us how she bought a flat in Kentish Town at the age of 19 and decorated with cheap toys she found online.
When and where did you buy your first home?
My first home was a one-bedroom basement flat in Kentish Town. It was pretty grotty but I was so happy that I owned some walls.
I was 19 and I appreciate that being able to buy a place at that age is not the norm, but I had good advice from my folks.
I signed a record deal at 18 and used the money for a deposit. It was not always plain sailing and I struggled to pay the mortgage more than once, but it was home and I tried my best to make it beautiful and filled it with plastic flowers and fun stuff from Camden market.
Where did you see it for sale?
There used to be an estate agent inside a bus in Camden; literally inside a double decker.
I wanted to live around there as I was such a big music fan and there was a big scene around there. I was an indie kid and I wanted to be in the thick of it.
What was the place like?
The flat itself wasn’t particularly quirky — the walls were all white — but I did my best to give it lots of character.
I’m not afraid of trying out bright colours on the wall or trying to do DIY.
I basically made all my mistakes in that place but it was fun. I mean, a lime green bathroom actually looks a bit gross but it’s fun to experiment!
The flat had a little tiny patio, too, which gave it some natural light which is unusual for a basement. To be honest, it was a pretty cute little first pad.
What other DIY experiments did you indulge in?
I painted every wall and stuck up fun things everywhere. I couldn’t afford much stuff so I experimented with decoration. Living near Camden gave me access to fun, kitsch plastic flowers and beaded curtains — all a bit naff, I know, but joyful and colourful, too. I used to find cheap toys on eBay and put them on shelves.
Anything to give your eye something to focus on. I haven’t changed much in my taste — it’s a bit more refined, I hope, and my colours are maybe a bit less garish and more tasteful. But I still adore a bit of brightly coloured tat and the thrill of cheap finds on eBay.
What did you learn from buying that flat?
I learnt that a home is about how it makes you feel. I have lived in lots of different sized places but it’s really about finding that place that makes you feel relaxed and cosy.
Luckily, I love the house I’m in now — with my husband, Richard, and our children – most of all. And I wouldn’t have felt so sure it was the right place or so confident in how to make our house a home without the trial and error of that first little place.
How has home life changed for you during lockdown?
The main difference is how we’ve approached our meal times. It’s genuinely the big shift as Richard and I already did a lot of work from home. We now eat altogether most evenings and with the kids at 5.30-6pm.
My family is already pretty hot on communication and checking in with one another, but I think eating together has made our family rhythm more synchronised and less stressful. Before, sometimes Richard and I wouldn’t eat until 9.30-10, once the kids were in bed. It was not as healthy in all senses of the word.
Are you going to carry on these new habits?
Yes. I love it and I’m keen to keep involving the kids with the cooking, too. I want to raise five kids that can cook for me, please!
Sophie is currently spokesperson for Hotpoint’s Fresh Thinking For Forgotten Food campaign.
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Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.
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source https://metro.co.uk/2020/10/20/my-first-home-sophie-ellis-bextor-shares-how-she-turned-a-grotty-flat-in-kentish-town-into-the-perfect-first-home-13437339/
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