2019-06-01 25 Beautiful Homes

| 25bh

for stockistsgo to where to buy

former hunting lodge

favourite item

‘I lovetheantiqueblue

chestnexttothestaircase

inthehall– ithashuge

drawers,makingit

extremelypractical

as well as beautiful’

thelighteningofthedarkbeams,which

previouslymadetheroomsappearvery

gloomy.‘Assoonasthepalewashwas

applied,thespacefeltsomuchbrighter,’

saysSophie.Thekitchen,whichwas

previouslyseparatefromthediningroom,

wasknockedthroughandthewallreplaced

witha peninsularunit,leavingtheexposed

beamsaboveasanarrestingfeature.‘From

theoutset,I hadthisvisionofa proper

countrykitchenwherewecouldcongregate

roundthetablewithourfamily,’saysSophie.

Toaddtothetwoexistingbedrooms

andbathroomonthegroundfloor,Nicole

createdtwofurtherbedrooms,eachwith

itsownbathroom,intheatticonthelevel

above.Partofthelandingwasrequisitioned

toprovideclothesstorage,whichis hidden

behindcurtains.‘Thiswasa muchmore

affordableoptionthanbuilt-injoineryand

Ireallyliketherelaxedfeel,’saysSophie.

Thehomeis furnishedwithpiecesthat

complementthetimeworn,texturalquality

ofthespaces.‘I boughta lotofthings,

includingthearmchairsinthesittingroom

andthestoolsinthekitchen,froma friend’s

shopinMarrakech,’saysSophie,who also

lovestovisitlocalantiquesshops.

Outside,a ruinedoutbuildingattached

tothelodgehasbeenpainstakinglyrestored

bya localcompanyspecialisinginhistoric

works;it nowservesasa gloriousoutdoor

diningspace.‘Thishouseis particularly

wonderfulinthesummermonthswhen

wehavea lotoffriendsandfamilyjoining

us,’saysSophie.‘Pierrelikestolookafter

thebarbecueandwegoforwalksinthe

forestorweplaypétanque– it’sa very

simpleexistencethatgiveseveryonethe

chance to recharge their batteries.’

BaThROOM

Whitemetrotiles

lenda freshfeelto

thiscompactroom.

ForwhiteMetrotiles,

£19.50sqm,trytopps

tiles.Verobasin,

£584 , Duravit

MaIN

BEDROOM

aglassshower

screenbehindthe

bedallowsnatural

lightintotheroom.

wallspaintedin

hagueblueestate

emulsion,£46.50for

2.5L,Farrow&ball.

trybarrymoretowel

rail, £204.99, wayfair