Moving into an 1940s house revealed fragments of the past
Emer Roche in her refurbished home. Photo: Steve Humphreys
I like the heaviness that settles over the first months of the year. The long nights and short winter light suit slower routines and early starts. I typically like to take this time slowly, so it was slightly surprising to find myself renovating a 1940s terraced house – stripping it back and rebuilding it.
Luckily, at this point, I was ignorant of the endless torrent of rain about to fall over the island, making even the most optimistic of hearts falter slightly at heavy paint not drying and endless drips of condensation forming on single-pane glass.