Country_Homes_and_Interiors_-_November_2019

T

here’sa fairy-tale,gingerbreadhousefeelto

JaneandRichardStark’sbeautifulCotswold

home– it’sthefrostedwhitefaçadeandthe

greenpaintwork,likedpipedicing,aroundthe

Gothicwindows.Yetonceoverthefarmhouse’sdoorstep,

justlikemagic,theinteriorlookslikea typicalEnglish

countrycottage,withlowceilings,beamsandanAga.

TheStrawberryHillGothicexteriorwasa majorattraction

whenthecouplefirstcametoviewtheproperty.They

werelivingina cottagenearby,butdecidedtomove

whentheirsonOlivercamealong.Thepropertyhad

begunlifeasa cottageandwasextendedoversome 100

yearsuntilinthe1800stheStrawberryHillGothicfrontage

wasadded.‘Thishousewasmuchbiggerthanwehad

intended,’saysJane.‘Weviewedit andthoughtit had

characterandwasslightlyquirky.It didn’tlookEnglish;

moremiddleEuropean.Butwefellinlovewithit.It had

a warm,cosy,lived-infamilyfeel,especiallythekitchen-

dinerwithitsAgaattheheartofthehouse.’

Thepropertywasingoodcondition,sodidn’trequire

muchmodernisation– a fewofthewindowsneeded

repairing,plusmissingrooftileshadtobereplaced,walls

repointedandtheexteriorrepainted.‘Becausethehouse

is Grade II listed, work had to be done using traditional>

AT HOME WITH...

OwnersJaneStarkandher

husbandRichard,whois a partner

witha globalexecutivesearch

andleadershipadvisoryfirm.They

liveherewiththeirsonOliver,four,

andtheirCockapoo,Willow.

HouseGradeII-listedhousewith

sevenbedrooms,datingfromthe

1700s.It wasoncea farmcottage.

Jane and Richard bought it in 2017.

KitchenShaker-style

cabinetshavebeenpainted

ina colourthatcomplements

thewoodenbeamsand

flooring.Unitspaintedin

TrufflebyPaint& Paper

Library.Bar stools, Loaf

COUNTRY HOMES & INTERIORS 63