Step Inside | Elizabeth at Victorian House 1896

By Beverley Park

How did you decide on this property?

We decided to relocate back to the North East from Birmingham where we lived in a new build, the property was advertised on Rightmove. Whilst Steve was still working his notice, I viewed the house with my Dad and loved it immediately. The house had been empty for around two years so I really got a sense of space.  I initially fell in love with the stairs; they just seemed so wide and inviting. The room proportions and ceiling height of Victorian properties are so much more generous than modern houses. That said I would kill for the straight walls of my previous new build! I put an offer in within a matter of days, which was accepted although Steve still hadn’t seen it! It was several weeks later once the conveyancing wheels were in motion that he saw it for the first time. Luckily, he loved it too.

What hidden features have you found in this 1896 property?

Whilst some of the original features have been lost over the years, some do still remain, and some we uncovered when we moved in such as the ceiling in the entrance vestibule that had been covered up with wood cladding, or the hearth tiles in two of the bedrooms on the first floor which had been hidden for decades. Only one of six fireplaces remain with the other five having been removed at some point.

What’s your take on styling wall space?

All the artwork we have in the house means something to us. It’s either photographs we’ve taken or old family ones, maps and posters of local places, or pieces we’ve collected on our travels. I love that every time I walked past it, it evokes some sort of memory and therefore feeling.

What’s your favourite feature of the property?

My favourite physical feature of the house would probably be the original vestibule ceiling that, once we’d found, had to be restored and repainted. I also love my two Queen Victoria corbels in the hallway casually keeping an eye on what goes on. Otherwise, I love that fact the house has a history and a story to tell, and I’ve invested a lot of time researching its former residents. The property was originally sold for £700!