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" With many of its original features intact, this 1950s house is a rich mix of colourful retro and contemporary design. Carol Waters and Ben Lloyd had lived on Roman Road in the East End of London for 15 years, when they decided it was time to up sticks and move to the country. They had been brought up in rural Yorkshire and wanted their children, Hector, Rory and Mabel, to enjoy similar access to green, open spaces. A good friend of the family lived in Great Dunmow, Essex, which inspired the couple to explore the area. The little town and the surrounding countryside are picturesque, and good transport links convinced Carol and Ben they could commute easily to their jobs in London \u2013 at the time they were both working for the fashion accessory designer Ally Capellino.  But the move didn&amp;#039;t happen overnight. Carol and Ben spent a year looking at properties, none of which felt right. Then an estate agent sent them to take a look at one particular house, commenting that it was over their price range but they were going to love it. His instinct was right. &amp;#039;As I drove onto the drive, I knew instantly it was where I wanted to live,&amp;#039; recalls Carol. The 1950s house is self- contained, private and set in a large garden. The family moved into it in September 1995, just after baby daughter Mabel&amp;#039;s first birthday and when her big brothers were about to go back to school.  The previous owners had kept the house tidy and spotless, and all of the original 1950s features, such as the tiles in the bathroom, kitchen and on the windowsills, had not been touched. At this stage, Carol and Ben removed the old carpets, replaced the shocking pink bathroom suite and, most importantly, installed central heating. &amp;#039;Until that point, the open fire in the living room had been the only form of heating,&amp;#039; Carol recalls.  Five years later, the couple decided to add a two-storey extension to make the living room bigger, and to provide a study on the ground floor and an additional bedroom and shower room upstairs. They employed a local firm of architects and a builder also from the area, who both understood that they wanted the extension to be true to the history of the house. The landowner who originally built the property had bought much of the timber from a London pub landlord and all the window frames were made from this recycled oak. For the new extension, the builder made bespoke frames in old oak to tie them in with the originals. New Crittall windows, which give the house such character, were fitted into the wooden frames. Finally, the kitchen was updated with off-the-shelf units and additional corner sections made by Ben to give a bespoke feel.  Carol loves decorating so, for her, working out where to place furniture and choosing colours and textures were the best and easiest parts of creating a comfortable family home. &amp;#039;The age and style of the house has dictated what I&amp;#039;ve done,&amp;#039; she explains. &amp;#039;Keeping the decor simple, with walls in cream and white and the flooring either wood or concrete, means the original features stand out and made it easier for me to decide where to put things.&amp;#039;  It also allowed her to add pattern and hits of bold colour without making things look too busy. &amp;#039;I&amp;#039;ve used a lot of colour in the soft furnishings and accessories, especially in the dining and living rooms. Some of the curtains are modern designer fabrics and others have been inherited or bought secondhand, and they all work really well with the retro and antique furniture I&amp;#039;ve picked up from flea markets and antiques shops,&amp;#039; she says.  It was this love of decorating that inspired both Carol and Ben to change careers seven years ago. They now own and run a haberdashery store in Great Dunmow, called\u00A0Lloydwaters, where they stock soft furnishings, sewing and knitting supplies and general housewares. Life couldn&amp;#039;t be better. &amp;#039;Now that the children are grown-up we do think about moving sometimes,&amp;#039; says Carol,&amp;#039;but the issue is finding a place that matches up to this one.&amp;#039; Words: Sian Williams Photography: Polly Eltes "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.housebeautiful.co.uk/renovate/homes-makeovers/news/a208/utility-chic-1950s-house/>