Hats off to retired homeowner Mary Orhan who has had the guts and vision to creatively transform a dated 1920s property into a colourful house that she’s justifiably proud of.
I was delighted to see Mary’s reaction when I called recently with a copy of this month’s House Beautiful for her. It was a lovely moment.
Apart from being chuffed with the feature, Mary is also incredibly pleased that her printmaker sister, Bea Veness, has been receiving calls from House Beautiful readers, eager to find out more about Bea’s stunning screenprints, which are displayed in several of the rooms photographed by colleague Richard Gadsby.
Mary and I first crossed paths a few months ago when we discussed featuring her charming West Sussex home.
During our interview, it transpired that Mary’s architect husband sadly passed away in 2001. However, while planning how to rejig the layout of her new home, Mary realised that she’d gleaned enough knowledge from Bil to visualise exactly how to go about tackling her ambitious renovation project.
The house, with its mid-century vibe and distinct artistic influence, is undoubtedly a triumph, which is why it was instantly snapped up by House Beautiful for their July issue.
If you’d love your own home to be featured in one of the national magazines I write for, drop me a line at mail@janetmcmeekin.co.uk or call 01243 792379.
