This indifferent, prolonged charming Devon cottage is greater than meets the attention.
Though elements of it date from the early 1700s, the clear adorning scheme takes the house into the – very fashionable – current.
(Picture credit score: Future PLC/Colin Poole)
Six years after downsizing from their household dwelling to a two-bedroom cottage in a small Devon city, the now-owners of this property realised that they have been operating wanting house.
‘We had three lovely grandchildren by then,’ they are saying. ‘Household is actually necessary and we simply didn’t have room inside or exterior for them to go to and stick with us comfortably.’
The house owners, who’re seasoned renovators, started a search for a bigger property, with appeal and scope for enchancment. Recognizing a picturesque thatched three-bedroom dwelling, they fell for the beautiful cottage backyard concepts and quiet location.
(Picture credit score: Future PLC/Colin Poole)
The unique constructing had been prolonged a couple of hundred years in the past to incorporate a small kitchen, and once more within the Sixties, including a eating room and conservatory. The inside felt drained, darkish and just a little disjointed, with patterned wallpapers and fussy curtains.
‘I cherished the thought of a thatched property, as we’d by no means owned one earlier than,’ say the house owners. ‘And though the decor was very busy and to not our style, I knew we may change that. I felt certain we’d discover some character and authentic options, too, as soon as we began wanting.’
The couple determined to tackle the mission, which entailed updating and redecorating each room.
The kitchen-diner
(Picture credit score: Future PLC/Colin Poole)
The structure of the cottage has hardly been altered, however the house owners have been eager to enhance on the cramped kitchen, sandwiched between the sitting and eating rooms. Their resolution was to exchange the outdated conservatory with an extension which now homes a vivid, spacious kitchen-diner.
‘We needed that enormous, sociable house with a easy, symmetrical design and many pure mild, and we’re delighted with the completed room,’ say the house owners. ‘It’s turned out higher than we may have imagined.’
Roof lights let pure mild into the center of the country kitchen concepts, enhancing the sense of peak and house. They prevented wall cupboards to capitalise on the intense, open really feel.
The boot room
(Picture credit score: Future PLC/Colin Poole)
In the meantime, the previous kitchen has grow to be a house for useful boot room concepts.
They added hooks to a weathered outdated oar, picked up at a neighborhood market, to make a trendy hanging rail. The bench, initially darkish wooden, has been painted for a lighter look.
The sitting room
(Picture credit score: Future PLC/Colin Poole)
Within the sitting room, the house owners unearthed a country brick hearth, now fantastically restored.
Portray the low ceiling beams white has lightened the nation lounge concepts. Touches of gray, taupe and black all through the home, together with antiques and heirlooms, infuse the sensible white schemes with character.
The adorning particulars
(Picture credit score: Future PLC/Colin Poole)
Dated arches across the doorways have been squared-off for a cleaner, extra fashionable look.
One of many greatest challenges of adorning was to convey a way of circulation to the home. ‘I like my dwelling to really feel mild and calm, so the partitions are white all through, and there’s a slim palette of greys and taupes, with touches of black,’ the house owners say.
‘That’s helped draw the completely different elements of the home collectively, so fashionable furnishings can sit comfortably subsequent to older, or extra “nation cottage-style” issues.’
The main bedroom
(Picture credit score: Future PLC/Colin Poole)
When the house owners eliminated the dated built-in wardrobes in the principle bed room, they discovered one other quaint little hearth.
The main bedroom concepts have been softened with rugs. ‘The floorboards have a number of scratches now, however I don’t actually thoughts,’ says Annette. ‘It’s all a part of the cottage character.’
The touchdown
(Picture credit score: Future PLC/Colin Poole)
Some black-painted panelling got here away from the touchdown ceilings to disclose dramatic and well-preserved structural timbers.
‘They regarded superb, and discovering them was such a beautiful shock,’ say the house owners. ‘The touchdown space feels so significantly better, too, a lot lighter and extra open.’
For the staircase concepts, the couple painted all of the picket spindles. They then took up outdated carpets and painted the floorboards white too for a more energizing look.
The toilet
(Picture credit score: Future PLC/Colin Poole)
The couple rearranged the structure to incorporate a free-standing tub. The restored structural beam makes a placing rustic function.
(Picture credit score: Future PLC/Colin Poole)
The couple now have 5 grandchildren and the transfer again to an even bigger property has undoubtedly proved to be the best one for them.
‘This can be a homely, peaceable place to stay,’ they are saying. ‘Having such a beautiful house the place our youngsters and grandchildren can spend time with us is simply what we needed.’
Extra phrases: Annabelle Grundy
,
