Interiors: Moving home widened our horizons

Mar 13 2008 by Debbie Johnson, Liverpool Daily Post

Laura and Adam had never considered life outside the city centre until they fell in love with a character apartment. Debbie Johnson reports

LIKE many young people finishing university, Laura Walker and her fiancé, Adam Robinson, had to decide where to go next.

And like many others, they considered taking the plunge and moving to London.

In the end, though, Liverpool won out – because of its combination of work opportunities and lifestyle appeal.

Laura, 23, and Adam, also 23, met while studying at Sheffield University. They have been together for almost five years and got engaged recently.

Laura says: "After we graduated, we didn’t know where to go next. Of course we considered London, as it is the obvious route for a lot of people looking to start out on their careers, but we knew Liverpool pretty well because Adam’s parents live in Wirral.

"I work in PR and he works in IT, and really good opportunities came up for us. That, combined with the fact that we could enjoy a much better quality of life here, pushed us back in the direction of Liverpool."

Initially, the couple lived in a new- build flat off London Road, in the city centre. Laura says: "It was a nice flat and there is a lot to be said for new-builds, but we wanted somewhere with a bit more character and a bigger kitchen as we both like to cook."

After viewing a few apartments, they opted for a one-bedroom home in Princes Road – an area that is now becoming an increasingly popular choice.

Laura says: "At first, we were sure we wanted to stay in the city centre, but when we actually came to look at the place we changed our minds. In terms of the location, it is lovely in reality – you can walk to the Hope Street end of town in 15 minutes, and getting into town by bus or car only takes five. It can take you longer than that to get from one side of the city centre to the other. Plus, we can see Princes Park from our living room window.

"It has also opened up whole new areas to us – when we lived in town we never, ever ventured outside the city centre, whereas now we often go out in Lark Lane or Allerton Road."

The apartment is one of nine in a beautiful old Georgian terrace. Its age and history have a lot of appeal for Laura, offering as they do splendid high ceilings, bay windows and a sense of character.

There is a hallway into the flat, and a large living room with a huge bay window. The colour scheme is neutral, with lots of beiges and creams and light wood laminate flooring.

There is also a huge sofa in stone-coloured fabric with an underlaid design – perfect for crashing out at the end of a busy day.

The kitchen has pine units and a mix of plum-coloured painted walls and white tiles, and slate-coloured ceramic tiles on the floor. Both Laura and Adam enjoy cooking, so the kitchen has become the hub of their home.

The bedroom is spacious, again with a large window, and painted in a very pale shade of mauve. The colour is complemented by a throw and large cushions upholstered in a vintage style design with pink roses.

One of the dominant features of the bedroom is also the large pine five-door fitted wardrobes.

"I must admit I like my clothes," says Laura. "Fashion is always something I have been interested in. If I’m honest, there are probably about 200 magazines in the flat and in my parents’ house as well, I keep all my back copies of Vogue and the like."

Fashion is also a vital part of Laura’s working life at Think Publicity, in Liverpool, where her main client is women’s brand Rare, as well as the likes of Guess and Hugo Boss.

She says: "It’s a mix of media relations, campaigns, events, and styling at shows and photo-shoots. Then with Rare, for example, it’s about getting the right samples out to celebs and getting them seen on them, building up relationships with people. It’s not always as glamorous as it sounds, but for me it is the perfect job."

Based in Colquitt Street, the office is also very easy for Laura to reach from her home in Princes Road.

She says: "We love living here. You get such a good mix of convenience and character."