This weekend, we’re down in Devon meeting Abbie Downey (Picture: Wayne Perry)
Welcome back to What I Own – Metro’s property series where we speak to homeowners about getting on the ladder.
When 36-year-old Abbie Downey and her husband started looking for their next home, they knew they wanted a project.
The couple moved from London back to Plymouth, where Abbie is originally from, just before the pandemic, with a young son who absolutely loved being in the countryside.
They lived in their first Devon home for a few years, before buying their £340,000 property two years ago, and embarking on an extensive renovation.
However, considering the house is half Victorian, half Georgian, and in need of a bit of TLC, they’ve had a lot of work to do.
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Here’s what Abbie had to say about their property journey…
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Tell us about yourself!
I’m Abby, I’m 36, and I’m an interior designer. I live with my husband and my nine-year-old son.
I love being out in nature, cooking, going to the beach, and going to the gym, if I’m not working or playing LEGO with my son.
We live in Plymouth. I’m from there originally, and I went to university, met my husband in London, and then we moved back here in February 2019.
How did you get into interior design?
My background’s not in interiors. I loved art at school, but I also loved lots of academic subjects.
The advice from the careers department was pretty much, unless you’re going to be an artist, you can’t have a career in art. I went and did a BSc and an MSc in Human Nutrition, and then I went to work in research, and then for the NHS in a health commissioning role.
I’d always done interiors in the background for friends and family though and was working on a project with an architect’s firm while renovating a previous home.
Having been immersed in it I thought, actually, this is what I want to do, so I went back and retrained in interior design. I set up my business four years ago.
Abbie and her husband moved back to Plymouth in 2019 (Picture: Wayne Perry)
What do you think of the area? What propelled you to move back?
My husband’s from Ireland, about 40 minutes outside of Dublin, so he’s from the coast and countryside as well.
Our son was coming up to one and was a very outdoorsy child, and we were driving out of London nearly every weekend to take him somewhere.
We still wanted to have quite a good city that had lots of amenities, as we like going to art galleries and to the gym and having nice shops. My family are here, so it seemed the perfect option.
The house we’re in at the moment is perfect. We can be by the sea in five minutes, or we can drive 20 minutes and be on a beach with no one on it, or in the middle of a forest.
We did look in London before, and we were looking at the equivalents of what you could buy. It was quite crazy.
…they were previously in London, and wanted to be by the sea again (Picture: Wayne Perry)
When did you move in?
August 2024.
How much did you buy your property for?
£340,000. We were able to port our mortgage from the previous house, and we had equity in that, so we didn’t have to put down a deposit.
Our mortgage rate is at 4.48% for 32 years.
We’ve currently spent £30,000 on our renovation, which is for the main major works of roof and sash window repairs and the re-render, as well as the bathroom, kitchen, living room, my son’s bedroom and washroom renovation.
What’s the monthly cost of living here now?
The mortgage is £1,400, council tax is £150, gas and electricity are £80, and the water is £40.
What prompted the move from your former home in Plymouth to this one?
There were only three of us, and it was a lovely Edwardian terrace house, but we just felt we were getting on top of each other.
Being half Victorian, half Georgian, the home needs a lot of work (Picture: Wayne Perry)
We just wanted a new project to get stuck into. Probably not as big as we’ve taken on, but we didn’t know that at the time.
Why has it turned into such a big project?
This one’s a Georgian house, and then it’s got a Victorian rear tenement on the back.
The Georgian part is lovely, and there are no issues, but the Victorian part we’ve had loads of issues with, so we’ve had to make changes to the roof.
We’ve had to re-render all of the back; we’ve had rain come in through the walls. We’ve had lots of mice, and there’s lots of rotten beans and damp.
It’s pushed us a bit in what we thought we’d be able to do ourselves, but we’re enjoying the challenge.
What’s the split between Georgian and Victorian like? Which rooms are where?
The front room, kitchen, master bedroom, the office, and the attic space are all Georgian.
And then in the Victorian part, there’s a bathroom, a utility room, a bedroom, and an ensuite. The front part was originally a Georgian cottage, so they extended it out to make it bigger. They’ve doubled the floor print.
What’s it been like renovating with a child?
We’ve all embraced it quite well. We’ve done the kitchen, and we’re nearly finished all the bathrooms, so I think those are the worst rooms to get done, because you’re in them all the time.
My son loves getting involved, so it’s a nice journey that he’s with us on.
They’ve lived here since August 2024 (Picture: Wayne Perry)
If I got to the end, I’d probably want to move, because I’d really have finished. It’s quite nice that it’s taken its time, because it gives me longer to process each one and come up with the designs.
We’ve got no dining room at the minute, so my son kind of walks around with a plate, wondering where to sit.
What made you choose this property?
We looked at quite a few, and we lost a couple that we really liked. This one’s on a really lovely street. The area’s still quite mixed. There’s lots of big houses, so some of them are single-use, and some are flats.
What’s the inspiration for your interior design style?
My design’s very maximal. I love pattern and colour, and I take a lot of inspiration from culture and history. I love Moroccan design, but also Mexican and Brazilian. There’s also a lot of vintage finds and eclectic stuff that I’ve layered up. Everything has a story.
Abbie is an interior designer, and is very maximalist in her style (Picture: Wayne Perry)
Do you have a favourite piece of furniture inside your home?
We’ve got an Indonesian drum that we’ve recycled as a coffee table that we found in a skip. It’s weathered and beaten and has such a story, and then we’ve got an old safe in the corner that’s a side table.
Do you feel like you have enough space?
Definitely. We’re not using all the rooms as the walls are crumbling down, but once those are usable, then we’ll probably have more than we need space-wise.
This safe is one of her favourite pieces (Picture: Wayne Perry)
Are there any wider problems with the property you’ve had to deal with?
The original sash windows have needed minor repairs. We’ve got quite a few original features that are intact, so we haven’t had any issues with the bones of the property.
What are your plans for the future, in terms of housing?
We’ll definitely stay here until my son’s 18. My husband would like a little farm at one point in his life, and I’d quite like to move to Italy, so we could combine the two.
We’ll definitely stay here for at least another 10, 15 years. We really like the area and the flexibility it gives us.
Shall we have a look around?
They’ve spent around £30,000 on the renovation so far (Picture: Wayne Perry)
And while it’s tiring, they love the project (Picture: Wayne Perry)
The splash of blue in here is fun, too (Picture: Wayne Perry)
They previously lived in a terraced Edwardian house (Picture: Wayne Perry)
They didn’t realise it was going to be such a big project (Picture: Wayne Perry)
…but have enjoyed pulling it all together nonetheless (Picture: Wayne Perry)
Every piece of decor has to have a story behind it (Picture: Wayne Perry)
The splash of colour on the fireplace is lovely (Picture: Wayne Perry)
They’ve embraced the stress of renovating with a young child (Picture: Wayne Perry)
…he usually gets involved with the design work (Picture: Wayne Perry)
Abbie has tried to design the bathroom in a Moroccan style (Picture: Wayne Perry)
…she finds it calming, particularly before work (Picture: Wayne Perry)
We’re enjoying these taps (Picture: Wayne Perry)
Being in here is like stepping away on holiday (Picture: Wayne Perry)
Scrub a dub dub (Picture: Wayne Perry)
They’ve learned to live in a half-finished home (Picture: Wayne Perry)
Once the reno is finished, they’ll have more than enough space (Picture: Wayne Perry)
They’ve had a few issues with the Victorian part, including mice (Picture: Wayne Perry)
…and damp walls, with the rain coming in from outside (Picture: Wayne Perry)
We’re liking these mismatched handles (Picture: Wayne Perry)
Mirror mirror on the wall (Picture: Wayne Perry)
Plants always brighten up a home (Picture: Wayne Perry)
Now this is an injection of colour, in the best way (Picture: Wayne Perry)
This clock fits with the period home setting (Picture: Wayne Perry)
They found the Indonesian drum in the corner on a skip (Picture: Wayne Perry)
…and subsequently repurposed it (Picture: Wayne Perry)
Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@metro.co.uk
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