HOMES

former forge| 25bh25bh october 2017 | 123###### My fiancé Jim wantedto be by the sea, andI wanted to live in thecountryside, in a housethat was old and had character,’ saysPhilippa Hartley. She lived in Londonat the time but Jim was based in Devon,so it made sense to look for a housethere after they got married.And they found one that ticked allthe boxes: a former forge with bags ofcharacter that was close to the coast buthad been on the market for 18 months.‘It had been in one family for 50years and hadn’t been touched sincethe 1970s,’ says Philippa. ‘It was ahuge project, which is why no one elsehad snapped it up.’ The couple lovedthe aspect of the courtyard withstunning views across the garden to thecountryside. ‘The garden was beautifulas the previous owners were keengardeners. My mother-in-law’s jawdropped when she saw it,’ says Philippa.The sale went through in October2010 but the new owners didn’t movein until 10 months later, living withJim’s mum while the renovations tookplace. ‘We took the house apart ourselvesand completely gutted it,’ says Philippa,‘then we rewired, replumbed, insulatedand replastered throughout. We alsoinstalled underfloor heating and fittedradiators upstairs.’ New ceilings andfloors were added, too, as well asbeautiful period-style windows.To make the house work for them,the couple changed the internal layout.‘What is now the open-plan kitchen/living/dining area was garages andworkshops, so we needed to get planning``````KITCHENCream painted units keep the room light, whilewooden worktops lend warmth.Similar cabinets, price on request, Harvey Jones. butcher’s blockpainted in Pigeon estate eggshell, £60 per 2.5 litres, Farrow & ball``````SITTING AREABlue and white lends a coastal feel.the oscar sofa in brittany blue French stripe is similar, £2, 445, Loaf.try the chichester 5ft open rack grand dresser, £2,690, Neptune