Country_Homes_and_Interiors_-_November_2019

M

ovingtotheUKfromAustralia,ChristenPears

andChrisBlakehada prettyclearideaofwhat

theywantedfromtheirnewhome.‘Wewere

specificallylookingfora propertywithholiday

cottages,’saysChristen.‘I travelledaheadofChriswithanagreed

listofninepropertiestoviewinCornwallandDevon.Butthat

searchstoppedshortaftertheveryfirstviewing.Thishouseticked

somanyboxesandfeltsoright,I justknewit wasmeanttobe.’

Cancellingtheotherviewingswasa boldmove,especiallyfor

a housethatwasn’ttheclassicGeorgianpropertyChristenhad

thoughtshewanted.‘I lovethatlookbutthishouse,although

lackinginperiodfeatures,hadthecottageswewanted,space

fora Pilatesstudioandanamazinggarden,’shesays.

Thepreviousownerhadrenovatedmuchofthehouse,but

somepartsofthepropertystillneededattention.‘Thefloors

upstairsweren’tgreatandtheoldconservatorywasheldon

withducttapeandhadgreenerygrowingthroughit,’says

Christen.‘Itinvolveda bitmoreworkthanweanticipated.’

A newextensionresolvedthewobblyconservatoryand

gavethecouplespaceforanextrabathroom,too.‘We’ve

doneourbesttopreservethefeworiginalfeaturesthat

werehere,andbeyondthat,we’vetriedtorespectthehouse

inourchoices,reusingmaterialsandrunningwitha rusticfeel.’

Christentooktimetocreatea paletteofsoft,warmgreysthat

workedinthepredominatelyopen-planspace.Andwhilethe

couplehavefilledtheirhomewithmid-centuryclassics,they

havechosenfromtherusticendofthespectrum,selecting

chunkierstylingandstickingwithnaturalmaterials,such as

leatherandwood.Theresultis homelyandinviting.

Eventhepracticalspaceshavemodern-rusticcharm.Topof

Christen’swishlistwasa pantry,buttheyfoundspacefora much

largerscullery.‘Thesculleryis greatforkeepingallthemessout

oftheopen-plankitchenwhenwe’reentertaining,’shesays.They

reusedpartsoftheoldkitchentocreatethescullery,paintingit

a freshshadeofgreen.Repurposingmaterialsnotonlyhelped

keepcostsdown,butalsocreateda relaxedandtimelesslook.

A spaciousdownstairscupboardwasbuiltfromoldfloorboards

and,outinthebarn,Christen’sever-growingbookcollection

ishousedonshelvingmadefromscaffoldboards.

AlthoughthebarnwasoneofthesellingpointsforChristen,it

wasn’tingoodcondition.‘Thelowerwallsaregraniteandthetop

partis cob,sothatneededcompletelyredoing,usingtraditional

methodsandlimeplaster.Butit gaveusa chancetoputina

massivefireplace,’saysChristen.Theasbestosandpolycarbonate

roofwasalsoremovedandsalvagedbeamswerefitted.

Beforestartingtheworkontheirownhouse,thecouple

completelyrenovatedthethreecottages,plusthebarnandthe

studiotogettheirbusinessesupandrunning.’Doingthingsthat

wayroundgaveustimetogettoknowthespaceandunderstand

whatworks– youcan’toverestimatetheimportanceofthat.’

To stay at one of the cottages, visit middlecolensofarm.co.uk

AT HOME WITH...

OwnersChristenPears,

a Pilatesinstructor,andher

husbandChrisBlake,a captain

oftallships.Theyhavefourcats.

HouseAthree-bedroomed,

mid-18th-centuryfarmhouse,

plusa Pilatesstudioandthree

holidaycottagesthattheylet,set

in1.2acresofland.Thecouple

bought the property in 2013.

COUNTRY HOMES & INTERIORS 27

CORNISH FARMHOUSE