HOMES

When Louise Crowle and herhusband Alistair wantedto move house, they wereintrigued by a dated 1970sbungalow in Rutland with a large plot. So,with builder R ichard Barnes, they viewed thesite. ‘R ichard tested the foundations and theywere sufficient to build a two-storey house,’says Louise. ‘Having a free hand to redevelopthe property was key to our decision to buy.’Working with an architect, the couplebegan a wish list. ‘We have three children,Tilly, 14 , Poppy, 12, and Finlay, 9, so wewanted each to have their own decent-sizedbedroom with an en suite,’ says Louise.A large kitchen-diner was also a priority.The bungalow was demolished to makeway for a new family home and the Crowlesmoved in with Louise’s parents as workbegan. The building work was due to takefinal word ‘Building ourown house means that this isthe first home where Alistair,who’s tall, doesn’t have toduck to avoid light fittings’nine months, but brown long-eared batswere found nesting in the roof and all workhad to cease while the couple acquired a batlicence. ‘We also had to make the loft spacebigger for the bats,’ says Louise. ‘It ended uptaking 18 months. We wanted to do the rightthing for the bats, but it was frustrating.’Despite this, the couple say planning theproperty from scratch had huge advantages.It meant Louise could include plenty ofstorage. ‘We created recessed cupboards onboth floors and matched their doors to theothers in the house for continuity,’ she says.Louise describes her interior style ascontemporary, with a nod to Scandi chic.Tones of grey are used as a base palette, withcolour added through accessories. In a homefilled with children, Louise planned in somepractical measures, too. ‘We painted thewalls white, which are simple to touch upshould scuffs occur,’ she says. ‘We also laidvinyl tile flooring with a limed oak effect onthe ground floor, which is easy to keep clean.’‘We’d recommend the self-build processdespite the challenges,’ reflects Louise. ‘It’sempowering to control how your house islaid out and we love its individuality.’``````DINING AREAA magnetised rabbitwallpaper panel adds alight-hearted touch tothis family space.try the rabbit printmagnetic wallpaper bySisters guild, £64.50,Notonthehighstreet.comKITCHEN-DINERMismatched chairs createa relaxed, laid-back feel inthis bright and airy spot.the Madsen extendingtable, £499, Next, is similar