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How many of us carry a picture of our dream home in our minds? However, the reality is that most renovation projects involve compromise. That was certainly the case for Izzy and Will Dennis, who inherited a country house in need of serious updating. They successfully met the challenge of modernising the property while retaining the much-loved period features – see the amazing results on page 34. For Penny and Richard Ballard, the restrictions of a Grade II-listed house limited the changes they could make but they managed to create the most warm and vibrant feel in their historic home – take a tour on page 138. If you have a project you’d like to share, please get in touch.…
HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY An arts and crafts home dating from around 1920 ROOMS Sitting room, kitchen/dining area/snug, garden room, utility room, cloakroom, four bedrooms, two bathrooms LOCATION Surrey Purchasing a new home brings excitement as well as trepidation about what lies ahead, but for Zoe Brookes and her husband George, who have two children, Oliver, 16, and Sophie, 15, there was the added feeling of responsibility at owning an early-20th-century arts and crafts gem. ‘After living in a modern house for years, we were hoping to find a characterful home full of charm, but never expected to find ourselves the custodians of such a property,’ says Zoe. With a rich narrative and timeless quality, the house had been rented for more than 10 years and was tired and dated.…
HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY Detached Georgian house ROOMS Sitting room, dining room, study, kitchen, utility/boot room, breakfast room, cinema room, five bedrooms, four bathrooms, converted garage/home gym and separate barn LOCATION Hampshire Interior designer Laura Hammett had always dreamed of an idyllic country life, but the practicalities of running a business in the capital kept her family firmly rooted in London. Until lockdown, that is. ‘With our design studio based in London, we never thought moving to the country was an option, until remote working showed us it was a possibility,’ she says. So, in 2020, Laura, husband Aaron, daughter Willow and son Fox, along with their cats Lilo and Coco, sold their London home and moved. ‘I fell in love with Hampshire many years ago,’ she says. ‘So as…
HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY Semi-detached house, built in 1920 ROOMS Sitting room, kitchen-diner, utility room, study, cloakroom, four bedrooms, dressing room, bathroom LOCATION West London Cara and Andrew bought their west London home wanting more space for their two cats, Calvin and Grant. ‘We had been living very centrally in London,’ Cara shares, ‘and although it was great to be able to walk to Buckingham Palace, we knew we wanted a garden.’ Cara had spotted the work of interior designer Sean Symington online and immediately fell in love with an image of his cockapoo on a coral sofa. ‘I love coral and realised he was the designer for us,’ she laughs. ‘We engaged him sharply after we moved in as we quickly realised we had too many ideas and needed…
HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY Classic country house with parts dating back to 1570, remodelled in the 18th century ROOMS Two sitting rooms, dining room, kitchen/breakfast room, utility room, study, 10 bedrooms, four bathrooms LOCATION Wiltshire ‘I WANT TO STAY TRUE TO THE SPIRIT OF THE HOUSE, WHILE ALSO MODERNISING AND PUTTING OUR OWN PERSONALITY INTO THE SPACE’ When Izzy and Will moved into their new home, there were an unexpected number of fixtures left by the previous owners. Antique furniture filled the grand entrance hall and decades-old Colefax and Fowler wallpapers adorned the walls of bedrooms. Too beautiful to be torn down and worthy of being labelled archival or vintage at the very least, Izzy decided the paper should stay, as should the antiques, some of which had graced the…
‘We love to entertain, so the open floor plan in the kitchen-diner-family room has ample room for family and guests to congregate’ HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY Detached 1880s house ROOMS Sitting room, kitchen-diner/family room, dining room, study, three bedrooms, four bathrooms LOCATION New Orleans Vacating their home in Metro New York hadn’t crossed the minds of Katharine Kelly Rhudy and her husband David as they strolled around the tranquil environs of New Orleans’ Audubon Park while visiting their daughter and son-in-law for Thanksgiving in 2020. That is, until they came across an empty 19th-century home that was badly dilapidated but whose faded elegance persuaded them of its amazing possibilities. ‘The house had endured years of neglect so it was apparent that a major renovation and upgrade was needed to every…
