Lady Miller’s presence in the house. She was such
a fantastic figure, but so little known that I have
started researching a book about her,’ says Meryl.
The house passed out of the Miller family and in
the 20th century it became a refuge for suffragettes,
a youth hostel, a religious commune and, finally, a
squat. It was eventually rescued from disrepair 25
years ago by a couple to whom the Lakins feel
immense gratitude. ‘They had such vision and put in
so much hard work bringing it back to life.’
When Meryl and John moved in they felt a sense of
adventure, but also responsibility. ‘Our aim has been
to take away rather than add, to let the fine bones of
the house come to the fore,’ says Meryl. Accordingly,
they have removed the carpets to reveal the original
floorboards – ‘admittedly they are a bit gappy and
creaky, but they are lovely too’ – and avoided curtains
as ‘we are not overlooked and we have beautiful
mirrored shutters that can be closed at night’.
Meryl’s strong vision for the house can in part be
credited to her career in publishing, which broughther into contact with experts in architecture, gardens
and interior design. A great influence is Ilse Crawford,
with whom she worked on the celebrated book
Sensual Home, which argues a house is experienced
through all five senses. ‘I discovered I don’t like the
sounds and textures of ahouse to be muffled, but this
slightly austere approach allows you to bemore
frivolous with colour and furnishings,’ says Meryl.
‘In terms of colour schemes, we worked within a
Georgian palette without being slavish to historical
accuracy,’ she says. The most challenging space was
the central hall. ‘In the early part of the last century,
it was painted using an oxblood colour and black
distemper. The effect was theatrical and rather
amazing and a part of me wanted to keep it, but I
decided to follow my instincts and paint it a soft
bluish-grey. I am so glad I did. The whole house was
set free and suddenly felt romantic and light-hearted.’
It is obvious that Meryl has a deep connection to
the house and feels privileged to be part of its history.
Some things are just meant to be.&INSPIRATION