For many families, the very thought of settling right in the heart of town, and on the seventh floor of a mansion block, no less, would be unthinkable. But then again, Amy and Lorne Somerville feel at home with urban life. Amy was born in Pennsylvania and spent 12 years in New York, so looking out of the window and seeing city life in the streets below is normal, and Lorne was brought up in Marylebone. It seemed right for the pair to set up house just around the corner from Oxford Circus, with their children, Ella, eight, and Finnean, six. “There’s no need for a garden,” says Amy. “We have Regent’s Park – it’s bigger than any backyard!”
As you ascend the lift and step out into their four-bedroom lateral apartment, it’s immediately obvious why Amy picked this as a flat for family life. The rooms appear to spiral off the spacious hall, with the main living room to the left, bedrooms straight ahead, with the kitchen and dining room off to the right. There’s plenty of space for children to run around, and the rooms are well-proportioned, which was a big draw.
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