At home with Rachael and Alex Otterwell for the Guardian Weekend

‘We aren’t traditionalists’: the Victorian terrace that pops with modernist passion

Dark walls and an orange velvet sofa by Rockett St George suit the house’s Victorian heritage. Photograph: Claire Bingham

The first thing that strikes you about this Victorian terrace – in the south Manchester suburb of Heaton Moor – is the shape. The hallway and kitchen are triangular (kudos to the former owners, whose layout made brilliant use of the space), and there are exaggerated angles everywhere. The second thing is the colour: sage-green walls and fireplaces in the living room – along with striking floral wallpaper; mustard walls in the kitchen/dining space; brown walls in the master bedroom; and a gorgeous William Morris-esque paper in a child’s bedroom.

As a departure from their last home, which was a neutral, plain new build, owners Rachael and Alex Otterwell wanted to embrace their version of colour and pattern: sophisticated and rich but fun, with a vintage feel and a bit of an edge. The botanical paper in the living room – House of Hackney’s Tulipa – hit all these notes, and mirrors the wildflower planting in the garden. It wasn’t cheap, but the couple knew what they wanted from the start.

Jeanie’s room has floral wallpaper by Munks and Me, with Farrow & Ball Breakfast Room Green and Nancy’s Blushes on woodwork and fireplace

“It’s not going to come down,” says Rachael. “Before committing, the big question we asked ourselves was, will we still love it in five years? Two years down the line, it’s a keeper. This is the first house we’ve lived in with period character. We wanted to respect that, hence the jewel colours and the wallpaper that makes the room feel in bloom. The pattern looks a little like a watercolour painting, so we decided to go bold and paper the top half of the room.”

To add light to the dining room, they opened the two rooms with a decorative arch. The plasterwork looks original, but it was created to match the architrave, rather than a clean, square shape.

Rachael and Alex in the breakfast room, where vintage teak table and chairs are set against custom-made cabinets.

In the kitchen/breakfast room, a large picture window separates the two spaces. A ceiling-high teak storage cabinet and matching kitchen door fronts were all custom-made by a local cabinetmaker, David Marsh Furniture.

The vintage red poster is for the Polish release of the 1963 film Sunday in New York, which Rachael found online. “It combines our love for midcentury art and colour, and happy memories of visiting New York. With us both being shopkeepers, it’s a rarity to come across something we haven’t seen before.”

“We’ve always had an appreciation for mid-century design,” Rachael adds, citing the Case Study Houses in Santa Monica as an influence on their ideas. “We also have a passion for tiles and love how their colour, print and pattern can impact a space.” In the kitchen, 1950s-style turquoise tiles (from Claybrook) complement sunshine yellow walls (Farrow & Ball’s India Yellow).

The couple’s home also reflects their interest in craft and design, with modernist and folksy influences. “If you look at mine or Alex’s wardrobe, you see that our house is an extension of the colours and patterns we wear,” says Rachael. “I’m a fan of florals. That comes through in our home on the cushions and walls. And Alex isn’t afraid of a bold statement: 80% of his skin is covered in traditional Americana-style tattoos. It’s a true representation of our taste.” It makes an outfit, or a room, pop. Their french bulldog, Polly, rather matches the teak.

The pair are founders of independent design store Object Style. In September, their Chorlton shop space was reborn as Auteur Store, Alex’s new menswear shop, specialising in niche brands from Japan, the US and the UK. Meanwhile, Rachael has turned her hand to art direction.

They moved house during lockdown in 2021, with a baby on the way, and the only access to the garden is through the front door. “I was five months pregnant at the time, so came armed with a militant plan to complete the renovations before the baby’s arrival,” says Rachael. “Thankfully we are both quite decisive people and share similar taste in interiors, so we didn’t waste time or money squabbling.”

Their daughter, Jeanie, is now almost two. “In hindsight, we would have made a few different decisions on layout and functionality to suit family life,” says Rachael. “For instance, in the breakfast room, we used to have open shelving stacked with beautiful plates and ceramics. The teak cabinet is more practical with a toddler and works well. Jeanie’s toys are (mostly) in the basement playroom.” The living room with the big archway is child-friendly in that it is an open space, however Rachael regrets not knocking through to the kitchen so she can watch her daughter while preparing food.

The couple installed vintage-style radiators (from Castrads) throughout, which were a significant part of the renovation budget – but worthwhile as they suit the character of the house. “You can have them made in any Farrow & Ball colour but we decided on the standard Bone, so they’ll work with anything we put on the walls,” Rachael says.

“We aren’t traditionalists as people,” says Rachael. Despite the Victorian architecture, this property is far from it.