In close collaboration with New York based interior designers Fawn Galli and Ashley Moyer, Orthwein set about a renovation that would see the footprint remain intact but a complete overall of the interior fixtures. Everything, from the flooring to the ceiling would be reworked with each decision, from the choice of floor finish to the colour of the walls designed to imbue a kind of whimsical charm. Orthwein would employ her love of detailed decoration and colour, through fabrics, wallpapers and furnishings, as her transformational modus operandi with a combination of gusto and restraint and a twist of humour for good measure. The entrance hall, with its sweeping staircase as the focus, is the embodiment of this aesthetic vision. Dressed in Osborne and Little paper in Grove Garden for the walls, Stark Carpet for the staircase and flanked by single Regency chairs and white gloss tasselled stools, this artistic playfulness is a sign of what lies beyond.

The interior walks a playful line. Underpinned by a healthy dose of humour it successfully captures a fairytale moment in time. Whilst providing the family an escape from life in the city, literally and emotionally, the home also offers Orthwein a framework within which to explore nuance and the other worldliness that has become the backbone of her photographic art. If Orthwein’s home heralds the mark of a new era for Newport – then trust, it will be a playful one at that.