I Built my Dream Home to my own Design

Feature Stephanie Smith

Photos Colin Poole

Buying a plot of land in Wales enabled Emily Parkinson to build a house from scratch and achieve the look she had always wanted

Welcome to my home

A bit about me

I’m Emily Parkinson and I live with my husband, Andrew, and our children, Jonah, 11, Eli, 8, and Elodie, 3.

Where I live

Our home is a five-bedroom new build in Mumbles, South Wales.

What I wanted to change

My granddad was an architect so I grew up around design and building. Andrew and I had renovated houses before but we didn’t feel like we were done. Building our own home was the next step.

How I made it my own

I didn’t want it to look like a new-build or be boxy, so we went for a cottage feel with a porch, and we’ve used lots of natural materials like wood and stone everywhere.

My favourite part

The light living area with the cosy wood-burning stove and doors which open out onto the garden.

Living Room

‘We didn’t want the house to be just a rectangle, so the living area jutts off from the kitchen, and forms part of a two-storey extension with a bedroom above. It’s a nice cosy space with views to the garden and doors that open all the way along. We were set on a woodburning stove from Charnwood and came up with the slate tiled block behind which gives it a Scandi look.’