HOMES

25bh |42 | 25bh october 2017 for stockists go to where to buystone cottage###### Whe n D i Overton first came across thisNorthumberland cottage, she was living in atownhouse in Newcastle, and although havinga weekend retreat was her partner Harvey Roll’sdream rather than her own, Di was still keen to see the property.‘As we pulled up outside,’ she recalls, ‘I said, “This is tiny! Shallwe even bother looking?” But the owner was standing, waiting. Sowe went in, saw the views, looked at each other and both said, “Yes!”.’Reinvention is what Di does best. As the designer-owner ofGhost Furniture, she takes vintage pieces and creates somethingnew. The couple’s cottage, too, has been reworked for each stage oftheir ownership, from its early days as a weekend bolthole to its mostrecent – Harvey sadly died three years ago – as Di’s full-time home.When they bought it, the cottage had been a holiday let andneeded to be modernised. ‘The fireplace had an electric fire in it andthe bathroom was avocado and only had a shower,’ says Di. Overtime, they improved the interior with a new kitchen and bathroom.It was only in 2006, when they decided to sell their townhouse andmove to Northumberland, that the couple thought of extending.With the help of a planner friend, they drew up a design toalmost double the original footprint, creating a large open-plan``````kitchen and living area, and above it, moving the bathroom from theback of the original cottage, to the side, and adding a large masterbedroom. With the luxury of space, they were free to section off agenerous kitchen-dining area, leaving plenty of room for a sittingroom and study space for each of them.Aged and worn items work well with the cottage’s relaxedinterior style. ‘I looked for reclaimed flooring,’ says Di, ‘but it was aludicrous price for boards so thick that they would reduce the headheight here, so we just put normal floorboards in and bashed themwith chains. When the builders were working here, I was saying,“Scrape things over them...”. They couldn’t believe it.’Vintage fabrics, offbeat finds from French brocantes andfavourite antiques all come into the decorating mix. Di’s wit andflair is evident in quirky details, such as the piece of silver birchtree trunk that supports the breakfast bar in the kitchen.Now she is planning a six-month sabbatical, dividing her timebetween visiting her daughter in France and son in Barcelona.Elegant as the interior is, it is the surrounding countryside Di lovesbest and will miss the most. ‘I look out of the two windows at thefront and every day the view is different,’ she says. ‘It’s like havingtwo ever-changing oil paintings on your wall.’DECORATING TIP ‘A mix of old and new, shabby and pristine or large and small, createsan eclectic and interesting home. Be brave and experiment – it will be well worth it’MASTER BEDROOMPretty vintage lace bought in theSouth of France adorns the bed.holly willoughby henrietta white bedspread,£80, Dunelm, would work well in here``````BATHROOMThe freestanding bath hasinternal lighting to givea relaxing glow.Ltt Light tub bath, priceon application, wet``````STAIRSA cast-iron staircase leadsto the bedrooms.tr y b a r b e r a n dosgerby olio black teapot,£55, royal Doulton``````MASTER BEDROOMAn antique French cotmakes a cosy day bed.Zara home sells floralcushions, from £19.99