Indholdsfortegnelse for Jul-2018 i 25 Beautiful Homes

Not wanting to leave London’s East End, but needing more space and a larger garden for their dog, Annie Tidyman and her husband Rich Robinson started looking for a place they could put their mark on. ‘That was six years ago and properties were selling quickly,’ says Annie. ‘We’d chosen this part of Hackney as the place we wanted to live, as it has a real community feel, with great shops, cafés and green spaces. We were also thinking about starting a family.’ Having lost out on several properties, Annie, a creative director and artist, knew this Victorian terrace was a winner as soon as she walked in. ‘The family who had lived here before had built a basic extension and installed a nice grey kitchen, but other than that,…

Rachael Hathaway has always been drawn to quirky buildings, and when she was ready to begin house hunting, she happened to wonder out loud, to a friend, whether there was a church for sale near her Sussex home. ‘Soon after, he came back with an advert for this extraordinary building,’ says Rachael. ‘The chapel was sited on Ministry of Defence land that was being sold off. It has had various functions over the years, but was most recently used as a community space by soldiers in the barracks. When I first saw the building, it was just one big open space. But somehow, I knew it was for me.’ The property came with certain constraints, however. The new owner had to use it as a single dwelling and was not…

Now that summer’s here, make sure your garden is primed to look its best. From chic furniture to modern firepits, there are plenty of simple ways to ring the changes. Back to basics Continuity will help make the garden feel part of your home, so try using similar paint colours and materials inside and out, or choose plants with hues that complement your interior. Consider the orientation of your garden before planning planting and placement of furniture, and pick a sunny spot for seating, but include shade for dining. Length will draw the eye, so try to site a standout plant, sculpture or small water feature towards the end of your space. Incorporate fixed seating, such as a banquette running along an external wall, to instantly increase the useable space.…

There’s no better way to experience the wonders of Italy than on this new eight-day Ultimate Italy cruise, sailing from Rome down the coast to Sicily, in spring next year. Plus, who better to enjoy it with than the wonderful chef and restaurateur Aldo Zilli, best known for his successful restaurants, including Signor Zilli and Zilli Fish. Born in the Abruzzo region of Italy, Aldo will be passing on his knowledge and insights during this exclusive trip. 25 Beautiful Homes has partnered with tall-ship cruise specialist Star Clippers, who you will be sailing with on the spectacular 439-foot Royal Clipper – the pride of the fleet. It is the largest full-rigged sailing ship in the world with modern facilities, three swimming pools, luxury cabins, a three-tiered dining room, plus a…

Looking at this property’s elegantly decorated interiors, it is hard to believe that it has been home to the Falconer family for just a year. In fact, it is the latest project for Camilla Falconer, owner of London Throw Company and director of Interior Facelift. ‘I love a house to look lived in and that’s very much my ethos with the homes I create for clients,’ explains Camilla, who shares this place with her husband Ian, their children, Oscar, 16, and Coco, 14, and Olive the dog. After many years teaching, Camilla decided it was time to turn a passion for interior design into her vocation, taking various courses at Chelsea Harbour to hone her skills. She was first inspired while living in Rome for several years. ‘We took the…

Sixteen years ago, when Jo Stokes and her husband, Graham, had outgrown the converted barn they were living in with their now grown-up children, Charlotte and Harriette, they decided to look for somewhere larger with more land. ‘We had viewed quite a few houses and I had set my heart on one place, but we lost it,’ explains Jo. ‘Then a friend told me about a farmhouse that was up for sale at auction.’ The Grade II-listed property was derelict and most of the house had not been lived in for 40 years, as its former owner had only inhabited the dining room. ‘Everything was unloved and the garden was so overgrown that we didn’t realise how much land there was,’ says Jo. ‘Nevertheless, we could see its potential and…

Even the most modest of spaces can serve as a comfortable guest room, and clever use of furniture allows for study and storage areas, too. Opt for a cohesive decorative scheme with hard-working furniture and you won’t look back. Forward planning Creating a guest bedroom that’s both appealing and practical starts with good spatial planning. This is particularly important if you are creating a room that will serve several purposes, whether as a study, informal dressing room or an additional clothes space. Once you’ve covered all the functions of the room, you can plan the furniture placement. Daybeds or truckle beds are a great option for rooms that host occasional visitors. Choose multifunctional pieces, such as a desk that can double as a dressing table, or a lidded ottoman to…

Soon after Fabrice Lachant and Tony Hilliard found their new home, plans were afoot to transform it. Fabrice, a painter and fashion photographer, had devoted considerable time to researching a look for the new interior. ‘We were trying to find a house we could turn into a place that reflected our style and taste,’ he says. ‘At first I was doubtful, as the kitchen was dark and the garden was overgrown. I was brought up in Switzerland and I lived in Los Angeles, so I struggled to visualise this place with a bright, light interior. It was Tony who convinced me that we could make it work.’ PLANNING THE LOOK Once the couple decided to buy, Fabrice began collecting a scrapbook of ideas. ‘We were keen to make the most…

When Alex and Will Keith moved into their first home together after three months of marriage, they did not think they would be staying long. ‘I knew I wanted to live in this part of southwest London, I just wasn’t sure about this particular house,’ says Alex. ‘I was hoping to find more of a renovation project, but there weren’t many properties on the market at the time.’ Will, a banker, was keen to buy the home as it was convenient for his daily commute to work, and his enthusiasm convinced Alex that this was indeed the right property for them. ‘It’s a great area,’ she says. ‘We had friends and good schools nearby, and there were plenty of green spaces where we could walk our dog, Tikka. We were…

After eight years of living in their Sixties pebbledash bungalow, Anya and Robin Nuttall felt it was time for a change. With a growing family that includes four children, Mark, now 13, Elliot, nine, Daniel, three, and Alexander, one, they craved space. The couple were reluctant to move as the location of their house was ideal, being close to work and the boys’ schools, but it needed a lot of work. Their initial plan to extend was discarded when their neighbour, an architect, suggested the idea of a new build. ‘He explained that our plot would provide scope to create a spacious house with a more logical layout,’ says Anya. ‘The thought of demolishing our family home was quite terrifying, but it’s always been a dream of mine to build…

When Sarah and Charles Jarman began hunting for a house three years ago, they told their estate agent they wanted a period home with a large kitchen and a lot less land than their existing property. ‘We had a very big garden plus outbuildings at our old house, and with four young children we found we just didn’t have the time to manage it all,’ explains Sarah. This 16th-century house ticked all their boxes bar one: the kitchen was quite compact. ‘I fell in love with it nonetheless,’ says Sarah. ‘It’s even older than our previous home, with parts dating back to the 12th century, but because of a terrible fire that took place here, much of it is brand new.’ The elderly lady who lived here had to be…

Elizabeth and Morgan Shaw may have been slightly daunted by the prospect of a blank canvas, but they were excited about the challenge, too. ‘We were looking for a home that was large enough for us and our three children, Annabel, now six, John, four, and Owen, three,’ explains Elizabeth. ‘That’s when we came across a repossessed property in southwest London. And although it certainly needed a lot of work, we could see there was scope to extend upwards, backwards, sideways, and even below.’ Straight away, the couple knew the renovations would require an expert, so they hired Mark Sylvester from Icon Architects. Mark and his team dug out the cellar, extended at the front and back, and filled in the kitchen side return to create enough space for everything…

Summer’s finally here – that time of year when we grab our bucket and spade and head to the seaside. So why not bring the outside in and give your bedroom a coastal look? Forget bold deckchair stripes and novelty porthole mirrors, and instead opt for a range of blue hues and a few well-chosen accessories to create a sophisticated theme that’s perfect for the warmer months. This inviting bedroom is a stylish take on the nautical look thanks to its muted palette of faded denims and light greys. The bold walls create a warm, cocooning feel but are kept from overpowering the space by pops of fresh white that help to lift the scheme. Cosy cushions and bedlinen make the room welcoming, while a mix of subtle seaside stripes…

Nicki Conn and her husband Christopher Peabody had their hearts set on a small seaside escape when they began looking for properties. ‘I’d had my eye on the East Kent coast for a while,’ says Nicki. ‘Our children were going back to school and I wanted another project. We’d visited various coastal towns, none of which felt right, but then in February 2017 we decided to view some houses in the small town of Deal. As soon as we arrived, the town just clicked with us.’ After seeing some two-up, two-down cottages, the couple happened upon a grand Georgian property set back from the sea. ‘It wasn’t what we were looking for, and it was twice our budget, but I fell in love with it,’ says Nicki. ‘It just felt…

Keen to remain faithful to their roots, Jade Severs and husband Jon set out to find somewhere close to the coast when looking for a family home. ‘We had bought a small Sixties house in the centre of Havant a few years previously, but were rapidly outgrowing the space,’ says Jade. ‘We wanted to stay nearby, as both Jon and I grew up on the coast and wanted our children to have the same upbringing as we did, with many happy weekends spent at the beach.’ Luckily, they found an attractive place close by. Having never owned a period property before, Jade was hesitant when it came to viewing this Edwardian house, but was soon won over by its generous space and the potential it offered. ‘The downstairs layout needed…

Long before she bought it, Jenny Ruffy used to admire this 18th-century cottage in East Sussex as she rode past it on her horse. ‘It caught my eye,’ she recalls. ‘It’s one of a pair of workman’s cottages and I kept thinking how beautiful they were.’ For many years, Jenny and her husband, David, had lived in southeast London, where they raised their now grown-up daughter, Charlotte. Today, they divide their time between the two properties, spending the lion’s share at the cottage. ‘I’ve been coming to this part of East Sussex since I was 16, when I first kept horses here,’ explains Jenny. ‘Then, seven years ago, I bought another horse as I was keen to come down here more often, having made friends in the area over the…

After renovating a two-bedroom maisonette at the age of 23, illustrator Kat Mannell had plenty of design nous under her belt when the time came to move again. ‘We made offers on three properties, but this one had the biggest garden, original fireplaces and scope to extend, so it was our first choice,’ says Kat, who lives in this house with her husband, Dominic, their children, Ruby, seven, and Molly, five, plus Cockapoo Harry. Although the decor was not to Kat’s taste – Ruby’s bedroom had a purple pearlescent fireplace and orange carpets, while the sitting room featured a red chimney breast and dark stained floorboards – she was not daunted by the work ahead. Plans were quickly drawn up to convert the loft into a main bedroom with en-suite…

Alan and Tracey DePoel-Wood’s search for a new house did not start well – after setting out from their south London home to explore the Kent countryside, the couple had a disagreement over directions, and returned home. ‘I was in such a mood that I decided to cool off by driving down to the south coast on my own,’ says Alan. ‘On the way back, I drove through a pretty village outside Tunbridge Wells and called in at an estate agents. That evening, on my return, I said to Tracey: “I think I’ve found our new home.”’ His enthusiasm was fired by its French country house-style exterior, but the best was still to come. ‘When I first stepped through the door, I felt a real energy, and I knew this…

Soon after slipping off your shoes by Vivienne and Hamish Pringle’s front door, an air of calm descends. Ahead, white walls stretch towards the garden where flowers cascade from vintage plant stands. In another direction, through a Crittall screen, you can glimpse rangy white sofas piled with handwoven cushions. A trio of specially adapted pendant lights hovers over the rustic dining table, one of the many details that cement the modern but soulful feel of this London townhouse. Downsizing from a rambling family home, the Pringles, who met in the ad agency where they both began their careers, were drawn by the Edwardian property’s previously untouched feel. ‘Our four children had grown up and moved out, so we felt it was finally time to do something for ourselves,’ smiles Vivienne.…