Indholdsfortegnelse for Jun-2018 i 25 Beautiful Homes

I often talk about how houses can be reconfigured to create more space or how colour can be used to make an impact, but the pieces you choose to furnish your home with are just as important, from the sofa you relax on to the bed you sleep in. Deciding on the type of furniture you need before researching what’s available is crucial to making a scheme work so, in this month’s issue, we have plenty to inspire. Whether you’re after statement living room seating or a stylish bath in which to enjoy a soothing soak, our 25 homes offer a wealth of ideas. In my experience, storage is also high on many people’s wish lists, including my own, so when I recently had my kitchen redesigned I included open…

Sarah Reed’s signature style is to create a house full of personality and character. Many of the pieces she owns have been with her for years and the home that she shares with her two daughters, Araminta, 17, and Tatiana, 15, is full of items with a story to tell. Situated on the outskirts of the vast Goodwood estate, the property comprises two cottages that were knocked into one in the Seventies. ‘I had previously renovated three large country homes,’ says Sarah, ‘but when I got divorced in 2011, I rented for a while and took my time to find a new home. This was the only house I loved – run down, but with beautiful period architecture and potential to develop.’ The cottages, surrounded by a walled garden, were…

After discovering a handsome stucco-fronted house that was long past its glory days, Frances and Spencer Maynard prepared to roll up their sleeves and get to work. Located in south London, the Grade II-listed home had suffered a chequered history since it was home to a sea captain in the 1840s. The couple longed to return a sense of prestige to the building. ‘What attracted us were the generous proportions and the period features, such as marble fireplaces and elegant cornicing,’ says Frances. ‘But the property had been converted into flats – at one time it contained four separate dwellings. We were keen to turn it back into one whole elegant home.’ With Hugo, now five, in tow, and Felicity, now three, on the way, a bonus was that the…

The soothing sound of waves breaking over a sandy beach persuaded Tricia and David Palmer to look for a holiday home in Cornwall, overlooking the water. Although they were living in the USA, they regularly returned to England on holiday, dividing their time between parents’ and friends’ houses. But having two now-grown-up children, Arabella and Christopher, they felt the need for a retreat of their own. ‘We found this stone-built, Grade II-listed Victorian gem in Portscatho, right next to the beach and it was perfect,’ Tricia recalls. The house had an interesting past. Originally built for a sea captain in 1840, it had later been occupied by a local vicar and latterly by the writer John Osborne. ‘We fell in love with the sea view, pretty façade and terraced garden…

One of the biggest stars of ITV’s The Durrells is the island of Corfu itself. Gerald Durrell’s wonderful books, including My Family and Other Animals, on which the TV series is based, are about the experiences his family had there after moving to the island in 1935. Now you can experience the wonderful isle yourself on an unforgettable five-day break, where you’ll meet the famous naturalist and writer Lee Durrell. She will give 25 Beautiful Homes readers a private talk about her family’s love affair with the island, as well as her late husband Gerald’s pioneering role in wildlife conservation. Lee will also accompany you on a visit to some of the Durrell family’s favourite places in Corfu, including the White House, where the family used to live, and Pontikonisi…

For Astrid and Martin Desveaux, the journey to their south London home was an exciting one. ‘We bought our first property together when we lived in Paris,’ says Astrid. ‘It was a loft in an old printing warehouse and was the start of a long story. From there, we moved to an Art Deco house in Bucharest, before moving to London.’ Here, the couple and their sons Bertrand, now 11, and Melchior, seven, rented for a while. ‘It was a cosy house, but as tenants, we couldn’t change anything,’ says Astrid. With this and a growing family in mind – they now also have a daughter called Eugénie, three – the pair knew it was time to buy. After viewing a few places, they found an Edwardian terrace. ‘It was…

A well-planned utility room will make all the difference to your home. Places to store brushes, ironing boards and other paraphernalia will help keep your kitchen free for cooking. If you’re lucky to have a dedicated room, or are starting from scratch with a new kitchen, you can decide whether to rehouse washing machines and tumble dryers away from your cooking space. Dishwashers, however, are best kept in the kitchen for ease of loading and unloading. Sam Hart, design consultant for Roundhouse Design (roundhousedesign.com) says: ‘A utility room allows for practical items to be hidden away and can be used for extra fridge freezer space, too.’ Even in a small home there’s often space for a utility area. ‘Go under the stairs or convert a wardrobe or cabinet,’ suggests Sam.…

Details of companies featured in the June issue A  Aga agaliving.com Alcantara Evans Architects alcantaraevansarchitects.com Alexander Francis alexander-francis.co.uk Amara amara.com Andrew Martin andrewmartin.co.uk Andy Martin Architecture andymartinarchitecture.com Angel & Boho angelandboho.com Anglepoise anglepoise.com Annie Sloan anniesloan.com Appliances Direct appliancesdirect.co.uk Artisanti artisanti.com Aston Matthews astonmatthews.co.uk Audenza audenza.com B  B&Q diy.com Baileys baileyshome.com Bakker.com bakker.com Baobab Collection baobabcollection.com Barker & Stonehouse barkerandstonehouse.co.uk Bathroom Discount Centre bathdisc.co.uk Ben Lowe benlowe.com Black by Design black-by-design.co.uk Brewers brewers.co.uk Brian O’Tuama Architects brianotuama.com Buster+Punch busterandpunch.com Button & Sprung buttonandsprung.com C  Ca’Pietra capietra.com Cabbage White England cabbagewhiteengland.com CAD Architects cadarchitects.co.uk Carpetright carpetright.co.uk Cath Kidston cathkidston.com Cathedral Builders…

1 FRINGE BENEFITS Brass wall light with fringing, £172, Audenza 2 TAKE NOTE Semicircle pin board, £35, Oliver Bonas 3 MIDAS TOUCH Divide wall mirror, £135, Sweetpea & Willow 4 CLASSIC ELEGANCE Crystal round vase, £95, Dartington Crystal 5 HIDDEN LAYERS Bronx round coffee nest, £199, Next 6 SEE THE LIGHT Stockholm 2017 lamp, £39, Ikea 7 URBAN INFLUENCE Hairpin stool, £65, Cult Furniture 8 NATURAL TOUCH Umbra Nesta table/hanging planter with ceramic pot, £45, Black By Design 9 RETRO RECLINER Gold petal chair, £975, The Farthing…

Fiona and Will Marsh wanted a larger home for their young family in the corner of southwest London they had come to love. So when they spotted a four-bedroom house for sale less than a mile away from their home, they moved quickly and snapped it up. ‘Despite the fact that the house was dark and awkwardly arranged, and the garden overgrown, we could see it had potential to become a spacious family home,’ recalls Fiona. But before they started refurbishing work, Fiona, a solicitor, and Will, a commercial property developer, agreed they would spend a few years living in the house to develop their ideas. ‘We wanted to take our time to work out how we would use the space and understand the problems with the layout before making…

The imminent arrival of their second child spurred Kelly and Ed Smithson to move from a two-bedroom house in London to a property more suitable for raising their family. ‘We were desperate to have a good-sized garden and we needed to be near the train for Ed’s commute,’ explains Kelly. ‘I grew up near Guildford and I fancied living there again. There are so many shops and restaurants and it’s surrounded by countryside.’ Fortunately, it wasn’t too long before the pair discovered the very property they were looking for. The house had been built in 1885 as part of the Loseley Park estate, and was one of a group of original farm worker’s cottages. It was July when the couple first viewed the house and the wisteria that climbs its…

‘This wasn’t the perfect house when we found it,’ says Sue Marino. ‘The decor hadn’t been updated since the Eighties, the layout didn’t flow and the space was too small, but I could see just how lovely it could be.’ At the time, Sue and her husband, Nick, were living in a nearby village. ‘We were keen to start a family and were looking for a home we could grow into,’ she says. Then, just as they were about to take the plunge, Sue’s mother died. ‘My father was rattling around in a house that was larger than he needed and, in addition, our potential sum to buy shrank because interest rates suddenly rocketed,’ says Sue. She and her father decided to sell their homes, pool their resources and buy…

The dramatic setting of the nearby River Stour is a perennial inspiration to Kate Williams and her family. Their historic four-storey Georgian terrace, nestled among a row of pastel-painted cottages, takes its cue from nature, with a restful palette of putties, pale pinks and greens. The front faces a bustling high street while the rear enjoys sweeping estuary views. It is a landscape that has been well documented for centuries, and inspired some of Constable’s most renowned pastoral scenes, including his iconic painting of nearby Flatford Mill. ‘The setting was such a draw for us,’ says Kate. ‘We had outgrown our previous cottage and although this place needed a lot of work, having remained untouched for 30 years, we fell for its unique position. From here, we can walk our…

When Anna Egedius realised her house was no longer large enough for her growing family, she was reluctant to move away from Lidingö, the island suburb of Stockholm where she had lived for the past nine years. ‘It’s peaceful and only 15 minutes from the city centre, where I run my rug design company,’ she says. ‘Why would I look anywhere else?’ Anna wanted a place that was beautiful, yet understated, and she didn’t have to travel far to find it. Just around the corner from her existing home, she came across a classic Swedish cottage with a pitched roof and dormer windows. ‘It is quite modest, but it exudes serenity,’ she says. ‘The living areas flow from one into the other and outside there is a very private garden.…

Having outgrown their small terraced cottage in Berkshire, Nicola and Andrew Wright knew that they needed to find a new place to call home. Extra space for their two children, Megan, then four, and Florence, two, had become a priority, but they had been living in a Victorian cottage and were keen to find somewhere just as characterful to move to. ‘We wanted more bedrooms, a big kitchen where we could eat and socialise, and a larger garden,’ explains Nicola. ‘We were also looking for off-road parking.’ When they were sent details of an Edwardian house in Hampshire, the layout caught their eye and they thought they should take a look. ‘It wasn’t love at first sight – the exterior was quite unattractive, with aluminium windows in the front bay,’…

Design ideas ISLAND WINE RACK Kitchen islands, which are freestanding pieces of cabinetry used to supplement worktop space, are becoming an evermore popular feature of modern kitchen design. Astrid and Martin Desveaux’s tall, slim island runs parallel to the work area, forming a clear visual boundary between the cooking and dining zones. Bespoke storage has been built into the back of the island to house their wine collection and this inventive design adds real visual impact. The dark wood storage modules perfectly complement the soft-grey of the kitchen cabinets, while the island can also double up as an informal breakfast bar for relaxed dining. CONCEALED TOILET Emma Botines-Skogland’s well-appointed bathroom includes a discreet partition wall that hides the toilet from view. A door has been fitted to match the style…

Creating a unique conversion like Rebecca and Tom’s, or building an extension that isn’t just a simple box on the back of the house, takes planning, forethought and usually the help of an architect who can see development opportunities that a regular homeowner would probably never dream of. ‘A lot of people don’t utilise the services of a designer or architect, so the result is often a standard solution,’ says Jude Tugman, managing director of Architect Your Home. ‘Good design doesn’t have to cost more, but it will give you a better outcome. It’s important that any extension complements the house as a whole. Work out what you want your renovation to do for you. Adding a conventional rear extension with sliding doors isn’t hard, but the result isn’t always…

The moment Emily and Spencer Green walked into this 1800s home in Bristol, they fell for its historic charm. ‘This house is full of character,’ says Emily. ‘It has airy rooms, oversized windows, and a classic Greek-revival style with beautiful columns and ornate details, which was a popular look in that period.’ And it’s not just the architecture that reveals the property’s colourful past. ‘This place has many stories to tell,’ explains Emily. ‘In the Fifties it was used as a base for nurses working the night shift, and then in the Seventies it was a renowned party house that was known to attract famous guests – there are even rumours that Jimi Hendrix has been here.’ For Emily and Spencer, the property’s intriguing history added to its appeal and…

With its peaceful setting and blend of traditional and contemporary features, it’s hard to imagine that Nichola Carr’s relaxed Northumberland home once lay at the heart of cross-border skirmishes. It dates back to the 1700s and was originally part of a bastle – one of a network of fortified farmhouses across the county – its stout walls designed to deter raiders from the North. Nichola and her husband Andrew, a property developer, already had a series of renovations under their belts when their half of the farmhouse came on the market. ‘We loved the location, with its beautiful views, and could see the potential in the building,’ says Nichola. ‘It was dilapidated but the stonework was just fabulous.’ Their past projects were completed in short, intense bursts. ‘They were before…

After 10 years living in a two-up two-down cottage with a steep staircase and downstairs bathroom, Sadie and Ross Tutton craved a larger home with a garden, where they could start a family. The couple were keen to stay in the North Wales village of Hope and luckily they spotted a three-bedroom detached property less than a mile away that fitted the bill, plus it also satisfied their desire for a challenging project. ‘It was stuck in the Seventies and had a small brown kitchen with an awful little window looking into the garage, but it was structurally sound,’ says Sadie, who grew up in a neighbouring village. The couple quickly listed their cottage with an estate agent and accepted a slightly lower offer in order to buy the new…