25 Beautiful Homes

At 25 Beautiful Homes we always know that home is where the heart is, and this issue is filled with properties that have had love and attention lavished on them. Take a look at the converted cow barn in Kent on page 78, which has been painstakingly refurbished while keeping its rustic charm intact. The owners of the Victorian terrace on page 150 fell in love with its original features and the potential they saw in this once-dated house. On page 93, see how the creative talents of one couple have helped to transform an old stable block into a cosy family home. We’d love to know your favourite – do let us know on Instagram, below. DIGITAL EDITIONS Find back issues on your device INSTAGRAM Follow us @25beautifulhomesmagazine SUBSCRIBE…

HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY 1930s semidetached house ROOMS Sitting room, TV room, kitchen/dining area, study, cloakroom, four bedrooms, three bathrooms LOCATION South London downsizing doesn’t have to mean compromising on style, or space, as Lucy-Anne and Paul Conway have proved in their impressive transformation of a tired 1930s semi in south London. Their colourful, stylish home is testament to a successful renovation and how to blend sustainability with design flair. ‘With our family grown up, our house in nearby Clapham had become too big, even though we loved it,’ says Paul. ‘We knew we wanted a property with plenty of ground-floor space and lots of potential.’ With many years’ experience as a director for a building contractor, Paul brought his expertise to the search and found a wider-than average 1930s…

HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY Semi-detached Victorian farmhouse ROOMS Sitting room, snug, kitchen-dining room, pantry, utility room, cloakroom, boot room, granary office, four bedrooms, four bathrooms LOCATION Surrey After receiving a too-good-to-refuse offer for their refurbished house in one of Surrey’s most desirable villages, Charlotte and Simon Drinkall chose to do it all over again with another major renovation. Charlotte, founder of interior design studio Shere Madness, and Simon, who has a background in engineering, say they enjoy the opportunity to flex their creative and practical skills to put their own stamp on a property. ‘We just don’t like to sit still,’ admits Charlotte. This time they bought a rambling three-storey Victorian farmhouse with an acre of garden, swimming pool and outbuildings, not far from their previous home. ‘It needed a…

HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY Victorian terrace ROOMS Sitting room, dining room, cloakroom, kitchen-diner, laundry room, office, three bedrooms, four bathrooms LOCATION South London The omens weren’t promising when Emily Sutton first went to view the three-storey Victorian terrace she now calls home. ‘Another house we were trying to buy had just fallen through and the estate agent told me about a property that wasn’t yet on the market,’ she says. ‘It was absolutely pouring with rain and I was in such a rush to see it, I got a speeding ticket! But I walked into the house and I just loved it, even on a dreary day. It had amazing bones and it had character, with its high ceilings, shutters and bay windows.’ The house was, however, definitely in need…

HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY Five-bedroom converted Atcost barn, built in 2018 ROOMS Sitting room/kitchen-dining area, mezzanine snug/library, cloakroom, utility room, three bedrooms, three bathrooms LOCATION Kent After years of hard graft maintaining a picture-perfect Georgian farmhouse near Tenterden in Kent, Jonny Mansfield-Clarke and husband Julian Clarke-Smith had become disenchanted. ‘We were tired of the constant cycle of looking after an old property and were hankering after a Grand Designs-style house with open spaces,’ says Jonny. There was also the issue of schooling for their son Charlie, now 13. ‘He was moving to secondary and we needed to find somewhere closer,’ adds Jonny. The couple saw dozens of homes before viewing a converted Atcost barn just outside a Kent village. The house was close to Charlie’s school and had lots of…

HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY Victorian terrace ROOMS Sitting room, kitchen, dining room, three bedrooms, two bathrooms LOCATION Cheshire ‘ONE OF THE UNITS IN THE ALCOVES HOUSES THE TV – MAKING IT ALMOST DISAPPEAR INTO THE BACKGROUND’ When interior designer Holly Lamont, founder of Holla Design, and her husband bought their Victorian terrace in Cheshire, they were looking for more space, character and a chance to make something their own. The couple approached the house with a clear vision: to inject colour, create a better flow and give every room a distinct yet connected identity. ‘I like to create a happy, welcoming environment,’ says Holly. ‘There must be a comfortable sofa and a sense that every room flows to the next.’ The living and dining rooms were the first to be…