Real Rooms: English Victorian Terrace (The Before, Part 1)

While I was in London for my birthday back in February (check out those photos here), I got to see the new house my sister and her (British) boyfriend just purchased! Its so charming with tons of character - a row house a few tube stops south of the Thames, over a hundred years old.

I'll share these pics (of it empty right when they moved in) in two posts, here's the exterior and downstairs...upstairs coming soon. This is also a cry for help! Neither my sister or her man Charlie are big design gurus. And they don't have a lot of furniture or accessories they love. So a lot about this place is a blank slate. I would love to help, but I'm way over here across the pond and don't know anything about British home sources. We'd love any input you have on anything really. And is there anyone out there reading (really I'm not sure who reads this blog anymore, never mind someone from another country!) who knows of any good English places (online or brick and mortar) to shop for this kind of thing? (So far we've got Ikea UK, Dwell and John Lewis). Thanks in advance!

{sorry Laura, your eyes are closed in this one but its the best shot of the house, lol!}

Here's the back of the house. They've got a great little backyard/garden. Future plans for the house include a "side return extension"...they'd basically be converting that part of the deck that runs along the side of the house into usable indoor living space by blowing out the wall you see here that the french door is on. The new wall of the kitchen would be moved over right up against the fence/property line there on the right.
 

Also in the works might be a "loft extension", since there's no where else to go but up, as Charlie's pointing out here:)

Upon entering the house, you're in a little hallway, with living room/lounge and dining room off to the left and kitchen at the back of the house.

The living room and dining room are open to each other and each one has its own fireplace, so there are actually 2 fireplaces on this one long wall. Here's the living room (love the plantation shutters that came with the place - that's the window at the front of the house). The molding detail is really cool and the floor boards are so wide!

Here's the other side of the room, the dining space. Oh look, another fireplace.  Don't you just wanna jump right in there and style those mantels!!! #nerdalert

Here's the kitchen as it is now...white cabinets, butcher block counter tops, magnetic backslash (and just a smidge of white subway tiles), with quirky little eat in/shelf area and tons of potential!

Awesome, right! Congrats again, Laura and Charlie! I can't wait to go back:) Pics of the upstairs coming soon. Again, feel free to chime in on anything here!