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A Southport couple has reshaped their 1,280-square-foot 1890 house from what Stuart Eminson describes as a stark white blank canvas into a cozy, vintage-filled home. An Apartment Therapy house tour documents the couple’s mix of dark paint, lamps, inherited pieces and contrasting furniture after nearly five years in the home.
Apartment Therapy has featured the Southport, U.K., home of Stuart Eminson and his partner, Steve, showing how the couple changed an 1890 house from what Eminson calls a stark white blank canvas into a layered, vintage-filled interior. The 1,280-square-foot home reflects their mix of dramatic paint, collected furnishings and lamps, according to the house tour.
Eminson told Apartment Therapy that the house looked very different when they bought it. He described the original interior as a “stark white blank canvas.” The couple have owned the property for almost five years and have since filled it with pieces gathered over time, including an inherited lamp from Eminson’s parents, who bought it in the 1960s.
The living room combines dark paint with furnishings from different eras. Eminson described it as a “haven of warmth” shaped by 1970s vintage pieces and a contrasting 1950s blue Indian sideboard. The report names “Rolling Tobacco” and “Chocolate Range” paints from AURO, a brand Eminson said he likes for its paint and environmental ethos.
The couple’s approach extends across the house, with lamps and vintage objects in multiple rooms. Eminson said they installed smart plugs because turning on the many lamps by hand could take half an hour in winter. They use voice commands to switch them on, and have given the kitchen lamps individual names drawn from the Muppets, including Miss Piggy, Kermit and Gonzo.
A Home Built Around Collected Pieces
The tour offers a specific example of how a home’s look can develop through long-term collecting and personal choices, rather than a single renovation reveal. Eminson says the interior is continually tweaked, while its vintage feel is a lasting feature. That ongoing process is central to the story: the house’s current character comes from pieces accumulated over years and combined across styles.
The account also links the decorative choices to everyday use. The many lamps create a practical switching problem, which the couple addressed with smart plugs and voice control. The tour therefore documents both a visual transformation and the routines that accompany it, while leaving construction details outside its scope.
Nearly Five Years in Southport
The house was built in 1890 and is in Southport, England. Apartment Therapy’s report identifies it as a 1,280-square-foot home shared by Eminson and Steve, who have owned it for almost five years. The source does not give a purchase date or a detailed renovation timeline.
Eminson framed the home as an expression of its residents, saying a friend once told him a home offers a glimpse into its owner’s soul. He said he has long treated the places he lives as part of his identity, from student accommodation onward. In this house, that outlook is visible in the couple’s mix of eras, colors and personal keepsakes.
““A stark white blank canvas””
— Stuart Eminson, quoted by Apartment Therapy
Renovation Details Remain Sparse
The report does not detail structural work, costs, or a room-by-room timeline, and it does not say whether the original white surfaces were repainted all at once or gradually. It also provides no independent assessment of the home’s condition or of the environmental claims associated with the paint brand; those details are not established by the tour.
The Interior Keeps Evolving
Eminson says the home is still being tweaked, though he expects its well-stocked vintage feel to remain. Apartment Therapy’s tour records the house as it appeared at publication; the source does not announce a planned renovation or provide a date for another update. Any further changes will depend on the couple’s ongoing choices.
Key Questions
Where is the house featured in the tour?
The 1890 house is in Southport, U.K., and is shared by Stuart Eminson and his partner, Steve.
How large is the house?
Apartment Therapy lists the home at 1,280 square feet.
How did the interior change?
Eminson said it was a stark white blank canvas when they moved in. The couple have since added dark paint, vintage furnishings, lamps and personal keepsakes.
How long have the couple owned the home?
The source says Eminson and Steve have owned it for almost five years; it does not give an exact purchase date.
Why did they install smart plugs?
Eminson said the couple have so many lamps that switching them all on manually could take half an hour, particularly in winter. Smart plugs let them control the lamps by voice.
Source: rss
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