Our Family: Chloe (mum, 29) Charlie (dad, 34) Tennyson (17 months)
Where do you live: London
Quick description of your home: A warm Georgian house that is outfitted with too many toys, not enough high heels, and plenty of love. Our style has completely changed since having a baby – we have happily ditched our minimalist approach to decor and embraced the wonderful chaos that comes with having a toddler – check out our tour of Tennyson’s playroom.
Occupations: Charlie is a TV editor and Chloe co-founded Olli Ella, modern nursing chairs for cool mums and dads.
How would you describe your living style: Absolute mayhem to witness. A lot of fun to experience.
Favourite shops for parents: Aria (Islington) – Whether you are shopping for an Orla Kiely tote or an egg timer by Alessi, we tend to spend hours in here gazing at all the wonderful well-designed pieces. Liberty – An institution. And the shoe section makes my heart ache.
Favourite shops for kids: Nubie, After Noah, Three Potato Four, Blossom Mother & Child, Bobo Kids, Born.
Favourite designers/brands for parents: Elie Tahari for me and Charlie is never without his James Perse t-shirts.
Favourite designers/brands for kids: H&M Kids, Aden & Anais, Mini Rodini, Tip Toey Joey, Shampoodle.
Places To Go: Morocco; A few short hours from London, lovely friendly people, mountains, beautiful culture, yummy food, and donkeys. Lots of donkeys.
What do you do in your spare time? Go to the theatre (The National at Southbank being our favourite), cook a yummy meal together, and play Uno (I say that with some bitterness as I have ahead a terrible losing streak as of late).
Personal style: For me, I would say comfortable chic. Even the scruffiest of outfits can be made fabulous with accessories (I am partial to chunky jewellery) and a great pair of shoes.
Hubby refers to himself as the ‘human handbag’ because of the multi-pocketed cargo trousers that he sports on the weekends (we take full advantage and use his pockets to hold water bottles, my lipstick, cellphones, and much more).
How would you describe your child’s style? Tiny. Small. Crusty. Cheeky.
Kids favourite book: Would you believe me if I said ‘The Elements of Style’ by William Strunk & E.B White? A very close second being ‘Goodnight Moon’ by Margaret Wise Brown.
Do your child have a passion or obsession? Tennyson, unlike his mummy, has a passion for cleaning; He loves to hoover and sweep. We are trying to hone this at the moment and teach him to polish silver.
Favourite family meal and why: Chicken Schnitzel with veggies. Absolute comfort food and great for leftovers. It is also the first dish I ever made for my husband on our 5th date (he has since taken over the cooking of this dish… but that’s another story)
Favourite place to eat out and why: The café at the Victoria and Albert Museum. None of us can get enough of the hot, buttery scones that they serve with tea.
Favourite family activity: Long walks at Hampstead heath with the dogs. Always followed by scones and tea at Kenwood House (are you noticing a pattern here)?
Any items you’re lusting after: A pair of boots by fabulous LD Tuttle and a Heart Ring by Jordan Askill.
Favourite activities: We love visiting museums and galleries on the weekends, going for lots of walks, and taking the bikes out for an adventure. When the weather is nice we love hanging out in the garden, lazing about on the hammock and playing games.
Any recommended hot spots?: Our kitchen on Sunday mornings for Charlie’s famous blueberry pancakes.
Favourite sites: Olli Ella (shameless plug), The Cool Hunter, Design Sponge and Apartment Therapy.
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