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Designer Emily Pun of Den helped a couple in Balham, London, regain direction during a renovation and make bolder choices for their expanded four-bedroom home. Livingetc reports that the design pairs a neutral foundation with color and pattern, including a red kitchen island, while practical features were built into the utility room.
Designer Emily Pun helped a couple in Balham, south London, shape an expanded terraced home around a calm neutral base while encouraging them to use more color, according to a report by Livingetc. The project followed the couple’s request for help during a renovation that grew from a three-bedroom house into a four-bedroom family home with a loft conversion and rear extension.
The couple contacted Pun, who works with the design studio Den, through Instagram while construction was already underway. They had become overwhelmed by the project and the number of decisions they needed to make. Pun said her initial aim was to bring the work into line and make the process clearer for the clients. Livingetc’s report does not give the renovation’s total cost or a detailed construction schedule.
The clients had gathered design references on Pinterest, but wanted the finished house to feel personal rather than like a direct copy of an inspiration board. Pun said the couple struggled to imagine how paint colors would look in the finished rooms, making decisions harder as work continued. She recommended Farrow & Ball’s Lime White for the walls, describing it as a shade that was neither too yellow nor too white.
The design keeps a relatively neutral foundation but adds more assertive color through furnishings and finishes. A red Nordic Knots rug brings color into the living room. In the kitchen, warm-toned Nacorado quartzite helped set the palette for cabinetry painted in Little Greene’s Bronze Red. Pun told Livingetc the clients considered a jade-green stone slab as well, but felt the home already had enough green. The utility room uses glossy cabinet fronts, lime-green paint and peel-and-stick wallpaper, alongside storage and joinery for laundry equipment and household items.
Color Choices Shape the Family Home
The project shows how a design brief can be translated into specific, durable choices when clients are unsure how to judge color from samples. In this case, the neutral base offered a familiar starting point, while the kitchen island, stone worktop and utility-room finishes introduced stronger tones in defined areas. That approach matters to homeowners making costly renovation decisions: color can be added in different ways, but choices tied to cabinetry or stone are less simple to change than paint or wallpaper.
The reported work also combined appearance with everyday use. The utility-room joinery accommodates a stacked washer and dryer, shelving, a pull-out clothes rail and storage for cleaning equipment, according to the article. The renovation therefore involved more than selecting finishes: it brought additional family space through an extension and loft conversion and addressed storage needs within the redesigned interior. The report does not provide independent assessments of the project’s budget, construction performance or long-term durability.
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From Three Bedrooms to Four
The original property was a three-bedroom London terrace. With a baby on the way, the couple expanded it through a rear extension and loft conversion, creating a four-bedroom home. Pun joined after construction had started, when the clients wanted support with project coordination and design decisions, rather than at the outset of planning.
The couple had already collected reference images before approaching Den. Pun’s role, as described by Livingetc, was to help interpret those preferences, settle on colors and finishes, and give the clients more confidence as the build progressed. She said the process involved making decisions despite some uncertainty, while trying to keep communication clear. Livingetc presents the project as a single-home case study; it does not report on broader renovation market data or compare the design with other projects.
“The main goal was to get the project in line and breathe some clarity and transparency into the process.”
— Emily Pun, as quoted by Livingetc
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Project Costs and Long-Term Results
Livingetc’s report does not state the renovation’s total cost, how long the work took, or whether the project finished on its original schedule. It also does not provide the couple’s names, their own account of the design process, or details about how the home performs after completion. Pun’s comments and the project description are the principal accounts in the source material, so claims about the clients’ experience and the design’s effect should be understood as reported by the designer and publication.
The article says the living room is an iterative space that may evolve over time. It does not specify whether the couple plans further changes, or give a timeline for any future work. The durability and upkeep of the selected materials beyond the clients’ stated preference to avoid marble are also not assessed.
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Further Changes May Follow
No additional renovation phase or follow-up milestone is announced in the report. Pun described the living room as a space that can change over time, so its eventual furnishings and details may continue to develop, but no specific plans or dates are given. For now, the published account documents the completed design choices and the home’s expansion; any further updates would depend on the clients or Den sharing new information.
peel and stick wallpaper utility room
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Key Questions
Who is Emily Pun?
Emily Pun is a designer associated with the studio Den. Livingetc reports that the Balham couple contacted her through Instagram for help with their renovation and interior decisions.
What changed in the Balham house?
The original three-bedroom terrace was expanded with a rear extension and loft conversion into a four-bedroom family home. Pun helped guide its colors, finishes and interior details.
How did the design bring color into the home?
The design retained a neutral base but added color through a red living-room rug, a Bronze Red kitchen island, warm-toned quartzite and brighter utility-room finishes, including lime-green paint and wallpaper.
Why did the clients ask for design help during construction?
According to Pun’s account in Livingetc, the couple felt out of their depth as the build progressed and found it difficult to make decisions, especially about color. They wanted clearer direction and a home that felt personal rather than copied from their Pinterest references.
What details about the renovation are not reported?
The article does not give the project cost or construction timeline, identify the clients, or describe any confirmed future renovation plans. It also does not provide a post-completion evaluation of the materials or the home’s long-term performance.
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