Beachcombers de luxe on the Kent coast

In Wendy Aldridge's Ramsgate home, the decor drops a few subtle hints to its coastal setting, but that's not really the main aim. Yes, there are paintings of skeletal fish and sailing boats and a Curtis Jeré wall sculpture depicting birds in flight. But it bears only a passing resemblance to the local gulls, which tend to loiter on street corners rather than fly in picturesque formations.

Wendy never aimed to create a sugar-sweet version of seaside style in this flat, which she renovated with her husband, James. "We wanted to include a few reminders that the sea is just outside the front door, but without being too obvious," she says. Instead, she has mixed 1970s, mid-century and contemporary designs together to create a less clichéd coastal look.

The couple, parents to Ida, eight, and Arlie, five, bought this basement flat two and a half years ago. They initially tried to buy in Margate but then looked five miles south to Ramsgate. No Turner Contemporary or Tracey Emin neons here, but there is a nice beach and some interesting architecture, including sea-facing Victorian townhouses, long since carved up into flats and bedsits.

This flat had been rented out for many years, so wasn't in the best shape, but two rooms had been knocked into one big space at the front. "This meant we could immediately imagine how it would work for us as a family," says Wendy.

Originally, this run of rooms would have been dedicated to serving a Victorian family on the floors above. Wendy fully embraced the flat's below-stairs vibe with dark paint colours, offset with glossy white tiling, flashes of gold and warm-toned mid-century furniture.

Then there's the centrepiece sofa – a louche 1970s number in sage-green velvet that was shipped over from Italy. "It's so low-slung, you literally sink into it," says Wendy. "I like to imagine it having a very glamorous life before it came to us, in a nightclub or a chic apartment," she adds. As if proof of its partying past, the upholstery bears the odd cigarette burn. "I'd never replace that velvet, so they'll remain as part of its character."

Facing it is a leather sofa by the Brazilian designer Percival Lafer, which almost qualifies as an impulse buy. "James went to pick up a chair and the guy was also thinking of selling his sofa. James rang to ask what I thought. I said, ‘If you can squeeze it into the car, go for it.' It fitted in by a whisker."