Indholdsfortegnelse for February 2026 i 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 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…

PROJECT DETAILS OWNERS Hannah Wood and her husband Dan PROPERTY Two-bedroom Victorian terrace WORK Creating a bathroom from scratch LOCATION Cheltenham When Hannah and Dan Wood moved into their two-bedroom Victorian terrace they knew they wanted to ‘steal’ a bedroom to create a bathroom. ‘We had to walk through the kitchen to get to the original bathroom,’ says Hannah. 1 LONG-TERM PLANNING The couple had already decided to incorporate the downstairs bathroom space into a large kitchen-diner with a bedroom above, so they knew long term they would get their second bedroom back, so working on the new bathroom while the old one was still in place made sense. But the project was bigger than it initially seemed because the room had to be completely taken back to brick so…

HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY A detached property built in 1990 ROOMS Sitting room, family room, kitchen-diner, utility, cloakroom, home office, four bedrooms, two bathrooms LOCATION Hertfordshire It’s rare for a property to defy classification by architectural style or period, but this detached home on the edge of a park in Hertfordshire does just that. Built 35 years ago in what was once the garden of a neighbouring house, it doesn’t qualify as a new build, nor does it reflect a particular historic era. Yet for Janet and Pete Hanson, who were house hunting after relocating from London with their two children, it was the property’s unique character that drew them in. ‘The gabled roof, wide frontage, quirky triangular plot and especially the beech hedge lining the boundary – it had…

‘MODERN PIECES WITH CLEAN LINES ARE THE PERFECT FOIL FOR THE PERIOD FEATURES OF THE HOUSE’ HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY Early 20th century building converted from three properties ROOMS Two sitting rooms, kitchen-diner, mudroom, cloakroom, office, three bedrooms, four bathrooms LOCATION Toronto, Canada WHY DID YOU BUY THIS HOUSE? I lived on the same street in Toronto’s Roncesvalles neighbourhood with my husband, two young children and our dog. We loved the area but needed more space as our family grew. The house was formerly three properties but had already been converted into a large family home. It had great bones with a layout that could be refreshed without a full reconfiguration. WHAT BUILDING WORK DID YOU DO? Although much of the original layout was retained to optimise the budget, it…

1 DISPLAY CABINET An old-style shop display cabinet, like the one Julia has in her studio, can be a lovely way of showcasing a favourite collection. Often with glass tops or fronts and pull-out drawers that were once used to display garments and haberdashery, the cabinets make great dining buffets and sideboards or quirky home office pieces. Pick up an original from a shop refit (if you’re lucky), or try sites such as eBay and Vinterior. Alternatively, opt for a new piece based on the classic design, like this Verity small sideboard (above right), £1,995, Graham and Green. 2 MODERN CHANDELIER In high-ceilinged rooms, like Marita’s bedroom, a chandelier can be a great way of creating a focal point. An alternative take on the classic crystal chandelier, a modern design…

HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY Grade II-listed townhouse ROOMS Three reception rooms, kitchen, utility room, six bedrooms, cloakroom, office, five bathrooms LOCATION Southwest London HOW DID YOU COME TO BE INVOLVED IN THE PROJECT? The project came from a returning client of mine. He engages me to design and renovate properties which are then put back onto the rental market. Although I’m working for a developer, I try to make each project feel homey and really consider who’s going to live there. This being such a large property, we always envisaged it as a family home. CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE PROPERTY IN MORE DETAIL? It’s a Grade II-listed townhouse with a small garden that was built around 1870. Most of the other properties on this street have been split into apartments…

HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY Contemporary cabin ROOMS Living/dining area-kitchen, two bedrooms, two bathrooms LOCATION Outer Hebrides For Kiki and Chris Hodgson, slow living sits at the heart of No.9, their Scottish Hebridean escape on the remote island of North Uist. Located on the wild coastline of Lochportain, their larch-clad, Scandi-style cabin is one of a few houses scattered along this isolated shore. ‘I fell in love with the Hebridean islands as a child, spending every summer on Mull,’ says Kiki. ‘Returning as an adult, Chris and I have explored many islands together, but were drawn to the magic here and the sense of wellbeing we felt, immersed in its unspoilt beauty,’ she adds. ‘Now in our sixties and having spent a lifetime running the family farm in North Yorkshire, we…

HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY Spanish Revival villa ROOMS Sitting room, kitchen/dining/family room, cloakroom, boot room, three bedrooms, three bathrooms LOCATION Oakland, California ‘THE DESIGN FOCUSES ON COMFORTABLE, CURATED, LIVEABLE SPACES, NOT PASSING TRENDS’ HOW DID YOU COME TO BE INVOLVED IN THE PROJECT? The clients are a couple with young children and the female client had been following my Instagram page. They were interviewing designers and we felt that there was great chemistry between us. I also live close to the house and, since the project, we’ve become friends as our kids are the same age and we move in the same social circles. CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE PROPERTY AND YOUR GOALS? It’s a Spanish Revival home that survived the big fires that hit Oakland in 1991. They were similar…

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…

HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY A Victorian shop and attached house ROOMS Kitchen, utility room, dining room, two sitting rooms, studio, six bedrooms, two bathrooms LOCATION Malvern Hills For Julia Davies, a move to the Malvern Hills was as much about pace as place. Living and working in London with her partner Dan Adlem and their two children, Florie, 15, and Joe, 14, she felt the pull of family roots and a slower rhythm. ‘We’d planned to move to Stroud,’ she recalls, ‘but then we viewed this former Victorian shop, and everything changed. We loved the shop front, the original tongue-and-groove panelling, the chunky old shelving and simple wooden floors,’ says Julia. ‘The house’s unfussy honesty really won us over, and the views were just incredible.’ Their arrival was memorable. ‘We…

HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY Extended stable block ROOMS Sitting room, kitchen/dining area, utility room, three bedrooms, two bathrooms LOCATION East Devon After a 10-year stint living and working in London, Hugo and Olive Guest felt the need to escape the metropolis and seek a calmer way of life in the country. ‘Both of us had careers in London that we wanted to move away from and we wanted to start a business where we could both be creative in our work and also live in a beautiful part of the world,’ says Olive. Hugo is a chef and Olive an artist and when Hugo’s parents announced they no longer wanted to continue running the family home in Devon as a B&B, the pair jumped at the chance to take over…

HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY Edwardian terrace ROOMS Sitting room, dining area, kitchen, utility room, cloakroom, four bedrooms, two bathrooms LOCATION Bristol WHAT MADE YOU LOOK FOR A NEW PROPERTY? We’d been living in a two-bedroom Victorian flat – it was full of character and charm, but we’d outgrown the space and were ready for more room both inside and out. I’ve always had a passion for period properties and garden design, so I was keen to find somewhere with the potential to extend, reconfigure and really make our own. More than anything I wanted the chance to get stuck into a renovation project and design a property from top to bottom. WHAT DREW YOU TO THIS HOUSE? From the moment we walked in we knew we could create something very…

HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY Victorian terrace ROOMS Sitting room, snug, kitchen-diner, cloakroom, four bedrooms, two bathrooms LOCATION Southeast London When Joanna Thomson and her husband Ian first viewed their Victorian terrace in southeast London, they saw more than just yellowing walls, brown carpets and linoleum floors. They saw potential. ‘It had beautiful original features and high ceilings,’ says Joanna. ‘It felt grander than the other homes we had viewed and we knew we could really put our own stamp on it.’ The couple moved into the property with their daughter Charlotte in 2022, fully aware they’d be living on site throughout the renovation. Their plans included a side-return extension to transform the dark galley kitchen into a spacious kitchen-diner at the heart of the home. Adding to the challenge, Joanna…