Indholdsfortegnelse for Oct-2018 i 25 Beautiful Homes

Last weekend I embarked on a total overhaul of my London roof garden. The spark came from Di Zock’s colourful Californian cottage (page 20). Truly over-excited and inspired by its striking landscaping, I charged home armed with ideas for adding colour and pattern to my bijou terrace. I believe that this issue of 25 Beautiful Homes contains in its pages a spark of inspiration for everyone, whether you’re in the throws of a large-scale project or, like me, simply looking for creative ways to redesign your existing space. As an editor who is new to the title, I love that we show homes full of personality, heart and warmth; our commissioning editor Emma J Page is an expert at bringing life to interiors with real stories and projects that surprise,…

Karina Wilson-Meijer searched for more than a year to find her ideal home. She specifically wanted a property that was in the countryside, yet within easy reach of a city. In 2002, she viewed a country house in Somerset that fitted the bill perfectly. ‘I instantly knew it was the house for me,’ she recalls. ‘It was positioned in front of a beautiful old oak tree, flanked by lawns and a landscaped garden. The house is full of character and is steeped in history – parts of it date from the 1400s and it has been added to over the centuries. I feel enveloped in layers of time here.’ The property had already been converted from eight bedrooms and two bathrooms to five bedrooms and four bathrooms. Karina’s main objective…

Some people are lucky enough to find a house that barely needs anything doing to it beyond a quick lick of paint. Pippa and James Connolly fall into just this category. ‘We left our mid-terrace house in Surrey primarily to find country schools for Bella, now 15, and Will, 13,’ says Pippa, who designs soft furnishings. ‘I was focused on hunting for the right school, while James concentrated on properties. This pre-war cottage was in pretty good shape, perched on a hill in a quiet cul-de-sac in a hamlet. It had a secret wine cellar, now accessed only by moving the sofa, which conceals a trap door.’ For James, who is in the wine trade, this sealed the deal. Pippa immediately fell for the building’s unique character. ‘It had two…

When they found out that both their companies were relocating to a new area, Jane and Lee Goss realised that they would be commuting for at least an hour each way from their West London home. ‘It wasn’t an inviting prospect,’ says Jane. ‘So we thought it was a good moment to start house-hunting outside the capital.’ Initially, Jane, now a retired lawyer, and Lee, who works in the City, were looking for a Georgian rectory. Instead, they found a 15th-century farmhouse in an idyllic valley in Kent. ‘We walked into the sitting room and it was love at first sight,’ recalls Jane. ‘It was quite simply the most beautiful house we viewed in our price range.’ The couple were also thrilled to find such a historical property. ‘It had…

Design ideas INTRODUCE LIGHT The Finches have created a bright and relaxing space in their small bathroom. A simple but highly effective design trick – a large mirror and glazed wall tiles – creates the illusion of space and helps bounce light around the room. Mirrors not only brighten a scheme, but the reflection fools the eye into believing that the room is larger, too. If possible, position a large mirror opposite a window to reflect natural light. Alternatively, use bevelled-glass wall tiles to enhance and open up the space. Here, all-white tiles and sanitaryware create a tranquil scheme. The lack of colour means the eye isn’t drawn to a particular point, making the room feel spacious with a sense of calm. MIXING PATTERNS In Pippa and James Connolly’s elegant…

Kate Sissons had lived in London for several years, but decided the time had come to leave the capital for a leafier location. ‘We wanted a small, well-situated property in the countryside with more space and a garden,’ explains Kate, whose son Jack, 19, often comes home to stay. So when she found this end of terrace in Charlbury, she was thrilled. ‘The town has everything we need and is in the middle of beautiful countryside.’ As well as fulfilling the requirements of having more space and a garden, the house also offered a few extras. ‘Most of the other properties in the village have quite small ground floors, but because this one had a rear extension added during the Seventies, it’s actually really spacious,’ she says. In addition, there…

‘Nothing brings nature inside more than wood. Wooden flooring in particular can make a real design statement that will not only look beautiful but will also, given the right care, stand the test of time. Strong statement wood floors in different patterns, textures and designs are key interiors trends for the new season, with geometric patterns, chevron and parquet floors featuring strongly in many home projects. Every surface can now be decorated with wood, starting from the floor upwards. Herringbone, chevron and geometric flooring can be used in any size space, with the floor acting as a link between rooms. There are a number of finishes to these floors, which each create very different looks. For example, square edges create a seamless look, while traditional hand-rolled edges define each block,…

‘If you’re going for a traditional look, sash windows make excellent feature windows, especially on stairs where there is a double-height space. Feature windows don’t have to be big to be beautiful, it’s the detailing that counts. In a loft space or gable, try an arched or Gothic-headed window. Attic spaces can allow you to create the wow factor by using Velux windows that open out into mini balconies, although do check if any planning restrictions apply as neighbours may be overlooked. Glazed extensions are a great way to introduce light-filled spaces and feature windows into listed or character buildings, but they can be expensive to install. Building regulations will also require you to compensate for the heat loss from the glazing elsewhere in your home, through the roof, walls…

Growing up in a large family taught Georgie Pridden to be practical, imaginative and self-sufficient. ‘If you wanted something doing you learnt to do it yourself,’ she says. So when she and her husband Ben, an estate agent, and their three children, Lottie, 12, Taggie, 10, and Bertie, nine, moved into their rented stone-built country house on a Yorkshire estate, it was second nature for her to create a stylish home on a budget. ‘I make my own soft furnishings, including curtains and upholstered bedheads, and I can turn my hand to most DIY projects, so that has saved us a small fortune,’ says Georgie, a PR and events manager. ‘I wanted to make the house personal to us, but we didn’t have a lot of money to play with.…

Moving from a busy London location to the quieter byways of Hertfordshire was an easy decision for Andy Wells and his wife Trine Kaalund Hansen, once they discovered there was a lake at the end of their garden. ‘We both love the countryside and I’m a keen fisherman, so that sealed the deal,’ says Andy, who is originally from Hertfordshire. ‘But the house was right for us on other levels, too.’ The pair started looking outside London when high prices and stiff competition ruled out buying a city flat. ‘At open house viewings we would be one of 50 couples, all competing against each other,’ says Andy. ‘By widening our net, we got a two-bedroom “doer-upper” for the price of a tiny London flat – and the fact that I…

A  Abigail Ahern abigailahern.com Adrian Ager adrianager.com Alexander & Pearl alexanderandpearl.co.uk Alison Teverini milwardteverini.com Amara amara.com Amtico amtico.com Amy Somerville amysomerville.com Ancoats General Store ancoatsgs.co.uk And So To Bed andsotobed.co.uk Annie Sloan anniesloan.com Anthropologie anthropologie.com Armstrong Simmonds Architects as-architects.co.uk Ascot Kitchens abkkitchens.co.uk Atkin and Thyme atkinandthyme.co.uk B  Bathstore bathstore.com Beautiful Halo beautifulhalo.com Bespoke Lights bespokelights.co.uk Blaize Simon blaizestar.com Blinds 2 Go blinds-2go.co.uk BoConcept boconcept.co.uk Bonsoni bonsoni.com Brian Yates brian-yates.co.uk Broseley broseley.com Burleigh burleigh.co.uk C  Camerich camerich.co.uk Caroline Riddell Interiors carolineriddellinteriors.co.uk Carson Architects carsonarchitects.com Cassina cassina.com/en Catchpole & Rye catchpoleandrye.com Chalon chalon.com Charles Edwards charlesedwards.com Charnwood charnwood.com Chartwell Design Services…

1 LIGHT BOX Barcelona table lamp, £585, Jonathan Adler 2 ALL IN VEIN Marble trinket box, £40, John Lewis 3 PLUSH PIECE Velvet throw, £125, Debenhams 4 FLICKER OF HOPE White Lilac and Rhubarb charity home candle, £47, Jo Malone 5 ALL HUNG UP Small floral decal lantern, £15, Marks & Spencer 6 POWER PLAYER Beats by Dr Dre Beats Pill+ portable wireless speaker, £179, Ao.com 7 NATURAL BEAUTY Botanical leaf prints on canvas, £23.95 for two, Melody Maison 8 REAL TEAL Ariel cushion, £29.99, Very 9 TWO-IN-ONE Gladom tray table, £20, Ikea 10 SUMPTUOUS SEAT Cuba chair, £895, Furniture Village…

Di Zock was living and working near Venice Beach in Los Angeles and had no intention of moving house when her best friend Jonathan King called to tell her about a cottage that that he had heard would be coming on to the market. ‘He felt it was too good an opportunity to miss and asked if I’d like to work on the project with him,’ says Di. ‘We agreed that he’d buy the cottage, we’d renovate it together, and then I’d rent it back from him. Since the interior needed complete remodelling, we also enlisted the help of our mutual friend, architect Tom Carson.’ The three friends agreed that the main priority was to reconfigure the layout, to make the rooms feel lighter and more spacious, and to improve…

Few of us have the knack of making a pot plant and vintage desk salvaged from a Citizen’s Advice Bureau look covetable, but Jane Rockett has an enviable design eye. In her home, she has elevated the everyday to the interesting, and created harmony from disparate pieces. ‘I just combine elements I love,’ she says. ‘A home can’t be staged – it needs to evolve.’ This is a philosophy that Jane, co-founder of homewares brand Rockett St George, put into practice when she came across this Victorian cottage in a pretty Sussex village nearly 10 years ago. Her aim was to strip it back to its original layout, allowing it to breathe, and make alterations over time, like removing walls, exposing the top floor to the rafters and adding a…

‘Look at the bare architectural bones of the space and at what walls can be removed to create a larger scheme with more flow. For example, a large open-plan sitting, kitchen and dining room may work better than a series of poky rooms, but take professional advice from a structural engineer as to what’s feasible. Install as many feature windows and doors as possible, in order to let in plenty of light. Consider replacing internal doors with sliding pocket doors, or heightening doorways, as this will also give a grander sense of scale even if the actual floor space is compact. In small schemes, storage really is key. Use a bespoke joinery company to design every inch of spare space into something usable, such as a banquette seat in the…

When Lauren Blow and her partner Steve Crossley started looking for a home together in Manchester, an abundance of character and a city centre location was key. So when a rare three-bedroom corner apartment came up for sale in a converted Grade II*-listed cotton mill, they jumped at the chance to view it. Steve, who runs a recruitment business, was already renting in the same building, and the pair loved the canal-side location on the edge of the city’s bohemian Northern Quarter. ‘It was converted in 2008 and had one previous owner,’ recalls Lauren, a lighting designer. ‘But they’d already moved out so there was no furniture and it looked very bare and plain.’ Although there were too many wardrobes built in around the beds, some of which obscured the…

Moving in to someone else’s home, especially when that person has lived there for many years, is rarely easy. But widower Allan Roberts made the transition as smooth as possible for his new wife, Linda. The couple had been living and working together in South Africa but, three years ago, returned to Allan’s home in the UK. ‘We decided to settle here, as it was close to our families and friends,’ says Linda. ‘Allan gave me carte blanche to renovate it as much as I wanted. ‘It was a typical bachelor home and was clean and tidy, but looked tired. The kitchen was old-fashioned and the doors were falling off. In fairness, Allan had spent much of his life elsewhere, working abroad. I had a vision of a contemporary, open-plan…

When Catherine and Geoff Loft decided to return to the UK after two decades of living abroad, they already had a location in mind – York. They had their eye on a four-storey property in a quiet corner of the city, where rows of tall townhouses are modelled on London’s beautiful Victorian and Georgian squares, with a communal garden at their centre. ‘My sister Sarah came to the viewing and fell for it, too,’ says Catherine. ‘She said: “You know, I think I might want to move here!”, and I said, “Well, I’d prefer one of the bigger ones, so I’ll wait for one of those to come onto the market.” I was crossing my fingers that one would, and thankfully it did, and now Sarah and I are neighbours.’…

The road to Tori Finch’s dream home was not an easy one to navigate. She and her husband, Ross, had several near misses before they unearthed an unloved cottage in West Sussex and then spent years planning its redesign. Tori and Ross discovered the cottage after losing out on a country house they had hoped to buy. ‘We were gazumped, so we didn’t know if we’d move at all at that stage – and when I first saw this place, I really disliked it,’ admits Tori. ‘It was in a total state, but I could see potential. So we decided to go ahead, renovate and then sell it, with the aim of moving to a property in the country.’ However, as the couple set to work, they gradually fell for…

Suzanne and Richard Bamford had stayed longer in their previous home in Northamptonshire than they originally intended. ‘We were conveniently placed for primary schools and amenities, which had been a priority while our children Isabel, now 14, and Oliver, 11, were smaller,’ explains Suzanne. But when it was time for Isabel to start secondary school, the couple knew it was now or never and began to search the county for a long-term home. ‘Richard had always wanted a period house like the one he grew up in, preferably in an idyllic village setting with a large garden,’ says Suzanne. Matching reality with the dream, however, proved quite challenging as the couple viewed almost 50 houses. After extending their search more widely across Northamptonshire, Suzanne finally spotted their current home online.…

Challenging renovation projects are not a prospect that Lucy and her husband, Graeme, shy away from. ‘Every house we have owned has been a project and we enjoy the process of tailoring our living space to our own needs as a family,’ she says. So the couple were delighted when the sale of their former seventies detached house in Buckinghamshire afforded them enough to buy this picturesque 18th-century farmhouse in Berkshire. ‘We wouldn’t have been able to buy it had it been “finished” – we knew there would be a huge amount of work to do, but we were happy to take it on,’ says Lucy. The derelict farmhouse needed a complete renovation, so the couple moved into a caravan in the garden, along with their two small children, Grace,…