It's the colour and artworks that make my house sing'

A north London Victorian terrace home has been refurbished three times over 30 years, with each renewal matching a different life stage. Early work supported raising a child, later updates brought personal style, and the latest refurbishment aims to culminate learned aesthetics, color, and art. The home uses vivid colors and meaningful collected pieces rather than minimalism. An interior designer helped adapt spatial planning, storage, and circulation, while an architect handled essential structural changes. Downstairs areas were reworked for better flow, including daylight improvements through a new window, removal of a wall and chimney breast for a more comfortable dining experience, and added pet-focused kitchen features.

"Evans has lived in this Victorian terrace for 30 years and this is her third refurbishment. Each renewal of the house marks a stage in my life. First it was a comfortable home in which to raise a child; then, in my 40s, it was about bringing my own sense of style to where I live; and now it's the rest of my days: a culmination of everything I've learned over the years the aesthetics, colour and art that make the house sing."

"People say: how can you sleep in a marigold bedroom? Whereas I say: how can you sleep in a white bedroom? For this latest upgrade, Evans turned to her friend, the interior designer Mika Burdett. I grew up with the generation who had great regard for minimalism, Burdett says. It looks very nice, but in my opinion it's nihilistic; there's little evidence or sign of life, of showing things collected and things that have meaning."

"It's very controlled, whereas this is the absolute opposite. It's all about life Ruth's life. How to adapt the house was crucial to Evans's future enjoyment of it. The downstairs space an already knocked-through living room, and a dining area with existing kitchen extension needed an experienced eye, so while an architect was employed to undertake some essential structural work, Burdett focused on the spatial planning, improving the storage facilities and introducing a better sense of flow."

"Now a new window brings daylight to the back of the kitchen and its walk-in pantry, and a wall and chimney breast have been removed to provide a more comfortable dining experience. The bedroom features (from left) a limited edition Obama print by Shepard Fairey, a piece by Swoon and a Julian Opie In the kitchen alone my brief included a pet flap and pet feeding area, low leve"

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