Country Homes & Interiors – September 2019

wellclearedofthepreviousoccupant’sbelongings,

butStephaniedidfindoldnewspapersliningthe

shelves.‘WereadabouttheQueenwhenshewas

young.TherewereevenpagesreferringtoWorld

WarII,’shesays.Theoldservantbellsystemwasalso

recoveredandalthoughit nolongerworks,thefamily

hasinstalledit inthekitchenasa tributetoitsbustling

past.Inbefriendinga neighbour,theygleanedmore

abouttheircountrypile.‘Previously,theroofhadbeen

thatched,buta firedestroyedit in1947,’saysStephanie.

AnotheroftheupdatestheThornesmadewasto

extendthekitchenwitha two-storeyoakframethat

includesa bootroomanda guestbedroomabove.

Twolongrunsofdarkgreycabinetryandmasses

ofwhitequartzworksurfacesmeettheneedsof

thefamily,aswellascreatinga relaxedareafor

entertaining.‘Guestscansitateachisland,with

thepersoncookinginbetween,’saysSteve.

ThisbeautifulprojectcouldhavequelledSteve’s

addictiontorenovationforgood.‘I’malwaysonthe

lookoutforthenextproject,’hesays.‘ButI’vefound

myselffallinginlovewiththishousemoreandmore.

Andwehavejusttakenonchickens, so who knows?’

Interiors by simshilditch.com

Twins’bathroom

Tongue-and-groovepanelling

createsa trulycountryhouse

feel.Similarpanelling,

The Victorian Emporium

ON OUR DOORSTEP

Visit...‘WelovevisitingKingston

Lacy(nationaltrust.org.uk/kingston-

lacy),a NationalTrust-run17th-

centurycountrymanorhousewithan

extensivecollectionofart,Egyptian

artefactsandexquisiteformal

gardenstoexplore.’

Shopat...‘IndividualInterior

Design(individualinteriordesign.co.

uk)inWestbourne.It hasa wonderful

selectionofwallpapers,fabricsand

furnishings.JohnBell(Bell’sFisheries,

01202 884754)is a wonderful

fishmongerwhoknowsallofhis

customers’namesandPJKeating

(pkeatingbutchers.co.uk)is myfamily

butcher,bothbasedinWimborne.’

Goforamealat...‘Weadore

TheTickledPig(thetickledpig.co.uk)

inWimborne.Thefoodis delicious

andtheingredientscomefrom

local Dorset suppliers.’

COUNTRY HOMES & INTERIORS 23