Charcoal grey as a backdrop for a family home? With pops of bright colour and plenty of natural light, one young couple have brought out its fun side

Grey is not everyone’s idea of family-friendly decor, but it works for Wendy Aldridge, her husband James and their children, Ida, five, and Arlie, two. In their London home, Down Pipe – the steely Farrow & Ball grey that most people dip into in moderation – envelopes the living room, TV den, master bedroom, downstairs toilet and extension. “It’s a great backdrop,” Aldridge says, “and, even better, it doesn’t show up the kids’ smeary hand-prints.

“In our previous house, we’d had a dabble with a paler grey,” she says, “but when we moved here, we just kept going darker and darker.” The colour scheme runs across the ceiling, skirting boards and floor, for a seamless backdrop that lets their furniture and accessories do the talking. From vintage German ceramics and soft tan leather to bright graphic art and butterflies in gilt frames, these lift any sense of gloom. “Saturated colours really stand out against grey,” Aldridge says.

The swaths of grey do get some lighter relief, however. On the ground floor, the den and living room are bookended by a white hallway and kitchen extension: “We needed the white to throw as much light as possible into that back area,” she explains. This large, bright kitchen is the hub of the house, in what was once the living room. “At the end of each day, we just close the doors on the jumble of toys and have a more grownup meal,” Aldridge says. The couple bought reclaimed bricks to slice up and use to tile the wall.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest The Brazilian slate flooring is from theslatecompany.co.uk. Photograph: David Cleveland

Upstairs, primary colours and a not-too-sugary pink (Dusky Rose, by Sanderson) get the edge over the grey. Except in the master bedroom, that is: there, it’s back to Down Pipe, but here it takes on a restful feel. A moonlit Tom Blachford photograph of Palm Springs, Sofie Refer lights on tomato-red flex and glossy German ceramics add bright accents.

The house was six months in the making. Almost all the internal walls were ripped out: they were lath-and-plaster and needed rebuilding. “It helped that my father works in engineering and has built two homes himself,” Aldridge says, “so it didn’t faze us.” Having reconfigured the ground floor, a clunky extension was reworked with bifold doors, and the whole house was rewired, replumbed and had new floors fitted. But the location, and scale of the house, made it worthwhile. “There’s a great community spirit in Walthamstow. Most of my family live in Ireland, but this is a place where neighbours and friends with kids the same age will step in to help.”

Aldridge started collecting chunky pottery on weekend trips to Berlin. “After spending new year there with a friend a few years ago, we fell in love with its creative vibe. We decided to invest in an apartment there, so we could explore the city more, and rent it out when we didn’t need it. Looking back, it was a bit of a crazy idea, but it paid off and we have some lovely memories. And German flea markets are great vintage hunting grounds.”

Aldridge has turned her passion for vintage into a career: she now runs Homeplace, an online store that sells old and new designs that reflect the look she works up at home. “My ethos is all about reusing treasures, or buying to last. Mixing styles and eras keeps things interesting.”

Facebook Twitter Pinterest The 60s ceramic jug from a Berlin flea market and vintage rug is from allthehues.co.uk. Photograph: David Cleveland

House rules

Favourite spot

The kitchen: it’s where we spend most of our time, cooking, working and hanging out with the kids. It leads out on to the garden and adjoins the kids’ den, so we can entertain guests of all ages.

Most prized possession

I have a soft spot for the mid-century sofa in the kitchen, partly because it’s where Pablo, our border terrier, snoozes while I work.

Biggest extravagance?

Having a Berlin apartment for four years – a place to call a home but removed from our day-to-day lives – was a real luxury.

Dream home

An original modernist house with scope to add a sympathetic contemporary extension.

Best thing about the neighbourhood

Walthamstow has a great community feel, and we have Epping Forest on our doorstep.

Grey works best when…

It’s offset by equally strong colours. Mustard is a favourite.