Innehållsförteckning för February 2017 från 25 Beautiful Homes

If you were undertaking a project on your home towards the end of 2016, I do hope it was completed in time for Christmas – I am sure you did too – and that you are now enjoying your new rooms. For those of you who have been thinking about starting something – from an easy refurbishment to a total new-build – this is often the time of year that dreams start to become reality. I know of lots of occasions where a new year has kick-started me into action. If that’s the stage you’re at, or even if you are only just beginning to imagine creating a new scheme, I hope that you will find inspiration from our selection of houses this month, which range from a complete self-build…

TEXTURED WALLPAPER I liked the wallpaper in Clare and Richard Jackson’s sitting room ( p97 , October 2016) – do you know where it’s from? FRAZER HATHORN, BY EMAIL I spoke to the interior designer who devised this scheme, Nicole Haig of DNK Design (020 7813 2945, dnkdesign.co.uk), and she tells me that the beauty of a textured wallpaper like this is that it brings added depth and character to a room. The paper she used is Larsen Backdrop in Peppercorn, £58 a roll, Larsen at Colefax and Fowler (020 8877 6400, larsenfabrics.com). Andrew Martin (020 7225 5100, andrewmartin.co.uk) sells a choice of wonderfully tactile grasscloth wallpapers in six neutral hues including an enveloping charcoal shade, £57 a roll. For a really luxurious effect, consider using fabric on the walls:…

NEW-BUILD HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY Detached Cape Cod-style house LOCATION Ontario, Canada ROOMS Hall, sitting room/ kitchen-diner, family room, two offices, music room, cinema, laundry room, five bedrooms (two en suite), two bathrooms BUILT IN 2013 PREVIOUS PROPERTY ‘We lived in another new-build, but wanted a home with more individuality,’ says Lidia. After two years of searching Barrie, Ontario, for a home with both land and character, Lidia and Leendert van Zyl decided the only answer was to build their own. ‘We were living in what’s called a ‘subdivision house,’ explains Lidia, an interior designer. ‘It’s where all the properties in a specific area are based on two or three models. It makes for a neat-looking neighbourhood but one that lacks personality. ‘We were looking at waterfront properties but they…

INSPIRING HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY A 1980s chalet bungalow LOCATION County Fermanagh ROOMS Hall, sitting room, kitchen-diner, three bedrooms (one en suite), two bathrooms PURCHASED 2013 PREVIOUS PROPERTY ‘I lived in a detached lakeside house in Enniskillen before moving here,’ says Gillian. Gillian Beare is so immersed in her job that she ended up buying a home on site. ‘I was very fortunate to grow up in this beautiful part of the countryside in Northern Ireland, surrounded by lakes and forests, and where water sports and hiking are par for the course,’ explains Gillian. ‘My parents fell in love with the area and bought a peninsula of land here in 1981, gradually developing it into a nature resort. Now, my brother and I run the operation, so I needed to…

INSPIRING HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY 18th-century detached cottage LOCATION Hampshire ROOMS Sitting room, dining room, kitchen, snug, TV room, study, utility room, cloakroom, five bedrooms, (two en suite), bathroom PURCHASED 2003 PREVIOUS PROPERTY ‘Before moving here I lived in a detached new-build,’ says Wesley. When Wesley Shepherd moved in with partner Neil Berry to begin their life together nearly a decade ago, renovating their country cottage was part of the dream. ‘It was in the perfect setting on the edge of a Hampshire village with a river at the bottom of the garden,’ explains Wesley. ‘Although Neil realised it was a work in progress, he knew it would make our forever home. ‘When I first saw the house the wow factor for me was the double-height glazed window in the…

INSPIRING HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY Edwardian terraced house LOCATION South Belfast ROOMS Hall, sitting room, kitchen-diner/family room, utility room, cloakroom, four bedrooms, bathroom PURCHASED 2012 PREVIOUS PROPERTY ‘We lived in a two-bedroom terraced house,’ says Aisling. When Aisling and Stephen Rusk went house-hunting they weren’t just looking for a home, but a project, which architect Aisling could use as a showpiece for her flourishing practice. The couple were living in a two-up, two-down in South Belfast and planning to start a family, so they also wanted more space. ‘We’d been looking for properties that had the potential to extend,’ says Aisling. ‘This house had been lived in by an elderly lady for years and, although dated, it had been well loved. There was an original rear return, with kitchen and…

INSPIRING HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY Terrace townhouse, built in 1820 LOCATION North London ROOMS Sitting room, dining room, breakfast room, kitchen, study, media room, two bedrooms (one en suite), shower room PURCHASED 2008 PREVIOUS PROPERTY ‘Gareth owned a flat in Highbury and I had an apartment in Brixton,’ says Gareth. When Gareth Orr and husband Dave Bennett first viewed their north London home, they were impressed by the space. ‘A lot of houses we’d seen had small rooms more suited to the Victorian way of living,’ says Gareth. ‘But this one felt as if there was space to spread out. We love entertaining and so wanted a place that had a variety of areas for socialising with friends, rather than four bedrooms sitting there unused.’ Once the pair had bought…

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INSPIRING HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY Semi-detached house, built in 1858 LOCATION Southeast London ROOMS Two sitting rooms, kitchen-diner, cloakroom, three bedrooms, bathroom PURCHASED 2004 PREVIOUS PROPERTY 'We used to live in a detached house in Kent,' says Bradley. Good timing and a touch of serendipity were behind Bradley Viljoen’s move to his house in southeast London. ‘It belonged to a friend of mine and I had always loved it,’ he says. ‘A few years later my partner Mark and I were looking to buy her neighbour’s house when my friend said she also wanted to sell – and offered us the chance to buy it. It was such good timing.’ As an interior designer and a big fan of period properties, Bradley was wowed by the house’s architectural details and…

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The new year has begun. The Christmas decorations have come down and your unadorned home can suddenly feel a little bare. But there’s beauty to be found in going back to basics and embracing the calm. And, while it may be too early to dream about retreating to a cottage on the coast, there’s no reason why you can’t be inspired by this kitchen with its relaxed, beachy feel. A whitewashed brick wall, textured beams and easy assortment of collected and homespun pieces casually displayed on the open shelves, fill the room with a simplicity that our homes may have been missing over the festive season. Meanwhile, the rustic driftwood heart could be seen as a subtle nod to Valentine’s Day, and the good times with loved ones to come…

UNIQUE HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY Bungalow built in 1999 LOCATION County Wicklow ROOMS Hall, sitting room, kitchen-diner, TV room, utility room, sunroom, four bedrooms (three en suite), family bathroom PURCHASED 2003 PREVIOUS PROPERTY ‘We had a new-build in Dublin, but were keen to move to the country,' says Richelle. It was the location, near the city but in the country, and the huge garden that sold this home in County Wicklow to Richelle and Barry McClelland more than a decade ago. ‘It was just too good to pass up,’ says Richelle. But when they moved in, along with children Bonnie, now 20, Harvey, 18, and Kelsie, 15, they realised that the house needed some attention. ‘There were four completely separate rooms leading off the entrance hall: a kitchen, dining room,…

INSPIRING HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY Semidetached 1930s railway cottage LOCATION Northeast London ROOMS Hall, sitting room, kitchen-diner, snug/playroom, three bedrooms (one en suite), bathroom PURCHASED 2014 PREVIOUS PROPERTY ‘We lived in Manhattan before moving here,’ says Emma. When Emma and Nick Goldberg spotted their semi-detached house, they knew instantly that it was their ideal family home. ‘We’d spent the best part of two years in Manhattan and loved living in the middle of a city,’ says Emma. ‘So when it was time for us to return, we sold our existing home in the suburbs, which we’d rented out, to move into the heart of London.’ The former railway workers’ cottage overlooks a leafy park, yet is moments from the tube that runs into the centre of town. ‘It ticked all…

UNIQUE HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY A former school and barn, built around 1905 LOCATIONAartselaar, Belgium ROOMS Hall, sitting room, kitchen-diner, mezzanine, utility room, library, cloakroom, three bedrooms, two bathrooms PURCHASED 2009 PREVIOUS PROPERTY ‘We used to live in an apartment in Brussels,’ says Pascal. After a lengthy stint living and working in Brussels, Sylvie Dewaele and her husband, Pascal Seynhaeve, decided it was time for a quieter life. ‘We have hectic jobs in the capital and, once the children arrived, we both felt a yearning for the countryside,’ says Sylvie. ‘Stumbling on this house quite by accident, we instantly felt it was perfect for us. It used to be the village school and is in such a pretty area, close to a butcher and baker.’ Although the location was ideal,…

INSPIRING HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY Grade II-listed terraced townhouse LOCATION Tunbridge Wells ROOMS Hall, sitting room, dining room, kitchen, cloakroom, three bedrooms, bathroom PURCHASED 2012 PREVIOUS PROPERTY ‘We lived in a modern flat in southwest London before buying this period house,’ says Louise. Louise and Stewart Brown were living in a Chelsea apartment when they began looking for a period home to buy in the capital. ‘I constantly scoured property websites, but as hard as we tried, we just couldn’t find anything suitable that fell within our budget,’ says Louise. ‘So when I spotted this Georgian house for sale in Tunbridge Wells, we decided to attend the open day.’ The Browns could see themselves living in the house as soon as they walked through the front door. ‘It’s on a…

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1 DREAM WEAVE Disco laundry basket, £85, Loaf 2 NATURAL LIGHT Randwick willow lampshade, £25, One World Trading 3 BURNING BRIGHT Round wooden tea light holder set, £17, Puji 4 SPRING GREENS Painted sideboard, £13, HomeSense 5 SPECIAL BREW Barbara teapot, £25, Pad Lifestyle 6 SOFT TOUCH Pierre Frey Tikal silk and cotton cushion, £115, L Lifestyle 7 TOP DRAWER Tree chest, £27, Myakka 8 SURFACE MATTERS Trémy coffee table with oak top, £300, PIB Home 9 POT LUCK Utility utensil pot with leather handle, £32, LSA International…

REPLANNED HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY Detached villa, built in 1890 LOCATION Dunfermline ROOMS Hall, drawing room, sitting room, kitchen-diner/family room, utility room, four bedrooms (one en suite), two bathrooms PURCHASED 2013 PREVIOUS PROPERTY ‘Before moving here, we rented a house in Bridge of Allan, near Stirling,’ explains Neil. Neil Harman and his husband, Will, have had a hectic few years, as they have tackled a major house renovation project while planning a wedding and starting a family through surrogacy. The couple, who married in July 2013, were delighted to find a large Victorian villa near Dunfermline, just 25 minutes from the airport, as they often travel for work or visit Will’s hometown of Portland, Maine, in the US. ‘The repossessed house had been lying empty for nearly two years,’…

NEW-BUILD HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY Detached house LOCATION Hertfordshire ROOMS Hall, sitting room/ kitchen-diner, study, utility room, playroom, dressing room, five bedrooms (all en suite) BUILT 2015 PREVIOUS PROPERTY ‘We were renting in Beaconsfield when the opportunity to build our own house came up,’ says Jon. Born and raised in Watford, Jon O’Mahony couldn’t wait to move to ‘The Big Smoke’. But after living in London for many years, working as a music producer, he recently relocated back to Hertfordshire with wife Lindsay, singer with the band Honey Ryder, and their sons Max, now 5, and Ozzie, 3. ‘I’d always wanted to build my own house,’ says Jon, ‘so when a plot came up near to where I grew up, we grabbed it. I took a sabbatical and threw myself…

DISTINCTIVE HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY Terraced house built in the 1930s LOCATION Dublin ROOMS Hall, sitting/dining room, kitchen, two bedrooms, shower room PURCHASED 2006 PREVIOUS PROPERTY ‘Before buying this place, we rented houses in various Dublin neighbourhoods,’ says Zita. After years of renting, Zita Spring and her husband Jamie Holmes were keen to find a home of their own. ‘I loved this house when I first saw it, as it still had its original layout and features like the 1930s fireplace in the master bedroom,’ says Zita. ‘However, it was decorated blandly and the kitchen and bathroom were pretty shabby and badly insulated.’ The couple, who are passionate about vintage style and are both great believers that one man’s rubbish is another’s treasure, have slowly transformed the interiors over the…

Design ideas TILED RISER The Walkers have made a stylish statement in their kitchen diner by creating a decorative tiled step. It’s a great to introduce pattern in an unexpected place, and they have used a variety of mismatched grey-and-white tiles to create this eye-catching design feature. Understated yet effective, the neutral tones of the tiles work perfectly alongside the kitchen’s grey polished concrete floor, the slate table top and the charcoal grey cabinets. Another unique idea for decorating a riser is to add a stencilled design. A similar effect can be achieved with self adhesive vinyl decals, which are designed to be applied in seconds. Remember, any kind of finish to a step needs to be durable enough to withstand daily kicks and scuffs. TWO-TONE ROOM To inject personality…

INSPIRING HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY 19th-century timber-clad cottage LOCATION West Sussex ROOMS Hall, sitting room, kitchen, dining room, cloakroom, three bedrooms, bathroom PURCHASED 2007 PREVIOUS PROPERTY ‘Before moving here, we lived in a seafront flat in Brighton,’ says Gemma. Although Gemma and Jasper Middleton adore the rustic life, they had serious doubts about buying this pretty, timber-clad cottage in West Sussex, which is thought to have originally been stabling and lodgings for soldiers during the Napoleonic War. ‘Jasper and I grew up in the countryside,’ says Gemma, ‘but we were unsure about this place as it was situated on a busy road.’ With curiosity getting the better of them, the couple decided to go and see the property anyway. ‘It turned out to be very homely inside,’ recalls Gemma, ‘with…

INSPIRING HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY Victorian semi-detached LOCATION South London ROOMS Sitting room, kitchen-diner/family room, study, utility room, family room/four bedrooms (one en suite), bathroom PURCHASED 2014 PREVIOUS PROPERTY ‘We rented in the area before buying this house,’ says Niamh. One wall of Niamh Browne’s family room is devoted to black-and-white photographs of all the places she and her husband have lived. Robert’s career as a business consultant means the couple have made their home in several locations around the globe – and always in rented properties. But as their children grew older, they craved a more permanent base for Michael, now 9, Lara, 7, and Anna, 6. ‘We waited for a long time to find the right place,’ explains Niamh, an interior designer. ‘It meant that I’d already been…