HB_s21

FIND THE BEST LIGHTING

3
12

4
5

8

6

7 9

Made from recycled
unbleached paper

HANG IN THERE

Pendant lights are a versatile choice and look great suspended over a dining table, kitchen island or in a reading nook

1 Grain pendant by Muuto, £125, Beut 2 Dia Junit pendant by Schneid Studio, £235, Bombinate 3 Drop Three pendant, £399, Original BTC 4 Remi
pendant, £59, Made 5 Bamboo And Linen shade, £83, Graham & Green 6 Parisian pendant, £295, Andrew Martin 7 Tropez pendant by Globen
Lighting, £91, Nordic Nest 8 Rope ceiling lamp by HK Living, £295, Nordic Nest 9 Conical pendant, £285, Kagu Interiors

FOR STORE DETAILS SEE WHERE TO BUY PAGE

House Beautiful SEPTEMBER 2021 51

OUR BEST

GARDENING TIPS

FOR EVERY SEASON

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64 Look inside our beautiful real-life properties…

82

90

54
74

74 54 82 64 90

THE FLORAL
INTERNATIONAL WONDERLAND

HOUSE Gorgeous flower arrangements

One couple introduced a Scandi and verdant foliage dominate in
vibe to their detached Surrey home
a New York brownstone house

GLASS ALL SWEETNESS OPEN
ACT AND LIGHT SPACE

Views of the great outdoors Painted furniture, faded linens and Bare brick walls and an open-plan

are put to the fore in the design distressed wood create a shabby chic setting bring a warehouse look

of a new-build coastal dwelling feel in a whitewashed Suffolk cottage to a Victorian maisonette

House Beautiful SEPTEMBER 2021 53

THE
INTERNATIONAL
HOUSE

Tucked away in a Surrey cul-de-sac,
this super-chic 1960s home
could be anywhere in the world

WORDS CAROLYN BAILEY
PHOTOGRAPHY JAMES BALSTON

HOME PROFILE

WHO LIVES HERE
Freddie Oke, designer and founder

of Do South interiors shop in
south-east London, and his
partner Natasha, a diversity and

inclusion consultant
THE PROPERTY

A detached 1960s four-bed
house in Cheam in Surrey

54 housebeautiful.com/uk

INSPIRING HOMES

DINING AREA

Freddie and Natasha
created a bold focal point
with this striking wallpaper
by Arte. ‘Yellow and black
bounce well together,’ says
Freddie. The teak table
and rosewood chairs are
vintage Carl Hansen, while
the industrial-style cabinet
is from Ferm Living

House Beautiful SEPTEMBER 2021 55

  hen Natasha bought her house in 2019,
not much had been done to it since
its construction in the 1960s, and she
was under no illusions about how
much TLC it would need to bring it up
to scratch. Luckily, she had the perfect
source of advice and inspiration in

the form of her long-term partner

Freddie. ‘I saw the potential immediately,’ says Freddie, the creative

force behind London interiors shop Do South. ‘I wanted to upgrade

it sensitively, keeping the original feel of the house but mixing the old

with the new. I felt like a kid in a sweetie shop!’

His vision was to retain the existing A-frame but extend it by adding

dormer windows, and to reconfigure the space on the ground floor

to give the house a modern feel. ‘It needed some layout changes to

improve the flow,’ he explains. The extensive refurbishment that

followed transformed the house into a real local talking point.

A firm believer in recycling, Freddie salvaged what he could from

the property, including the lights in the hall and a retro sideboard

belonging to the previous owner, but otherwise it had to be gutted

from top to bottom. His vision was clear: ‘We wanted to create

a Scandi vibe, making the house look amazing, but so simple.’

On the ground floor, the original parquet had to be taken up as it had

become damp. Replacing it with terrazzo stone throughout created a

cohesive flow and complemented the wood details. It also gave the couple

the opportunity to install underfloor heating – a welcome touch of

luxury. Walls were removed on the ground floor to open up the space

and create a fabulous open-plan kitchen-dining room.

Designed by Freddie, the showstopping oak and walnut staircase

was a labour of love, and has become his pride and joy. Based on the

open-tread style popular in the 1970s, it adds a sense of theatre to the

space. Several of the original doors were replaced with pocket doors,

56 housebeautiful.com/uk

INSPIRING HOMES

‘I love CLASSIC
interiors fused with

SCANDI and
Afrocentric style’

KITCHEN SNUG

A wall was removed to With its fabulous view
create this sleek open-plan of the garden, this is the
kitchen-diner from what perfect place for rest and
was originally a bedroom. relaxation. A dramatic
Light-coloured terrazzo cowhide rug complements
stone flooring contrasts a selection of vintage
with dark units. The design pieces the couple have
is bespoke from Do South collected over the years

House Beautiful SEPTEMBER 2021 57

which glide open and slide into the wall’s cavity. For the walls, Freddie
used grey paint from Mylands, choosing yellow accents to brighten
it up and ‘add happiness’. Freddie was keen to create a connection
between the inside and the outside of the house and has managed to
plan the rooms to ensure most have uninterrupted views of the garden.
Finishing touches come from the varied artworks that give the home a
unique warmth, some of which were imported from Africa. ‘They add
a certain quirkiness,’ he says. Upstairs, dormer windows were installed
to increase the living area and allow light to flood in, and one of the
bedrooms has been converted to an office, as Natasha works from home.

Having sourced so many pieces from his shop, Freddie saw this
renovation as a fantastic opportunity to showcase his work. More
importantly, however, he wanted to create a home that Natasha would
be proud of. He says his favourite memory was seeing her reaction
when it was all complete. ‘She just loves it!’ he grins.

Find out more at do-south.com

CLOAKROOM LIVING AREA

Intensely patterned wallpaper A slimline Novamobili wall
by Austrian designer Josef unit displays a selection
Frank gives wow factor to of Freddie and Natasha’s
the smallest room in the pictures, ornaments and
house. The basin and taps books. The modular black
are from Saneux, and a Oscar sofa is from Do South,
minimalist mirror by Hay while the sideboard behind
completes the look it came with the house

58 housebeautiful.com/uk

INSPIRING HOMES

‘I wanted to UPGRADE
it sensitively,

keeping the ORIGINAL
feel of the house’

HALLWAY

This airy, clutter-free space
sets the tone for the rest
of the house, with wood
accents complementing
the clean white walls.
Plants add life and interest

House Beautiful SEPTEMBER 2021 59

‘I consider SPACE,
LIGHT and COLOUR

when renovating’

LANDING

Freddie is especially proud
of the bespoke staircase
he designed and made in
a mix of walnut and oak
with his good friend Ben.
It’s a unique piece that
always sparks interest
from visitors to the house

HOME OFFICE

Natasha has worked from
home for some time, so the
fourth bedroom has become
her office. A wall of String
shelving – a distinctive
Scandi touch – provides
flexible storage, and a
skylight boosts light levels

60 housebeautiful.com/uk

INSPIRING HOMES

BEDROOM

Wall art is a vibrant addition
to the bedroom scheme,
which also features the
yellow and grey theme seen
elsewhere in the house. The
bed and bedside table are
by Ethnicraft at Do South.
A large rug is a cosy touch

ENSUITE

This page and left Golden-
brown larch wood brings
warmth, contrasting with
white-tiled walls, grey
terrazzo flooring and modern
fittings from Saneux HB

FOR STORE DETAILS SEE
WHERE TO BUY PAGE

House Beautiful SEPTEMBER 2021 61



GET THE LOOK

Bold pattern and colour bring Freddie and Natasha’s mid-century home to life

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1 1919 wallpaper in Navy and Mustard, £38/roll, Lust Home 2 Cubik Painted Electric pendant in Matt Gold, £90, Iconic
Lights 3 Modena chair, £499, Boconcept 4 African wax print lampshade, £55.99, Bespoke Binny; with tall wooden lamp base,
£39.99, H&M Home 5 Epoch vase, £75, LSA International 6 Chess cushion, £32, Amara 7 Saraya natural woven planter, £30,
Habitat 8 Claudette chaise sofa, £1,399, House Beautiful Collection at DFS 9 No 7 or No 11 by Mark Rothko framed print, £230,

King & McGaw 10 Raleigh side table, £145, Perch & Parrow FOR STORE DETAILS SEE WHERE TO BUY PAGE

STYLE IT FAST FOR UNDER £30

COMPILED BY DAISY BENDALL Mid Century vase in Cane lantern, Abstract Brooks Knot No 2 sculpture in Tall black textured vase,
Orange, £10, Habitat £18, Matalan cushion, £18, Next
Warm Yellow, £14, Hay £29.99, Dowsing & Reynolds

House Beautiful SEPTEMBER 2021 63

Floral
WONDERLAND

A New York-based couple have turned a Brooklyn townhouse into
a stunning family home, abundant with greenery and colourful blooms

PHOTOGRAPHY NGOC MINH NGO/TAVERNE AGENCY

64 housebeautiful.com/uk

INSPIRING HOMES

HOME
PROFILE

WHO LIVES HERE
Miranda Brooks, a

landscape architect, her
architect husband Bastien

Halard, and their two
daughters, Violette Grey

and Poppy
THE PROPERTY
A Neo-Grec brownstone
house in Brooklyn, New York

OFFICE

The property includes a
small carriage house at
the end of the garden,
which the couple use
as an office

House Beautiful SEPTEMBER 2021 65

Despite its small garden, the Neo-Grec
brownstone house in Brooklyn, New York,
instantly charmed British-born landscape
designer Miranda Brooks when she first
saw it. She and her husband, architect
Bastien Halard, were looking to move
from Manhattan, and the 19th-century
property, laid out over four floors and
with a little carriage house at the end
of the garden, fitted the bill perfectly.
A complete renovation was embarked upon, managed by Bastien
alongside his work, and Miranda undertook the transformation
of the garden, creating a verdant oasis from what had been an
unpromising paved space. Though many of her commissions have
been the design of grand gardens for the well-heeled – including
American Vogue editor Anna Wintour’s Hamptons retreat –
Miranda’s love of naturalistic planting and desire to bring a sense
of intrigue, in which not every part of the garden is visible at once,
is every bit as magical in small spaces.
An early intention to stick to a pared-back palette was soon
jettisoned in favour of lush planting and an abundance of colour. Here,
poppies and daisy-like erigeron pop up among roses, lilies, and tulips
for a traditional country feel that could be a million miles away from
the bustle and noise of the city just beyond the wall.
The rooftop garden, however, is a different story. Featuring
beautifully organised beds inspired by Elizabethan gardens, it
includes a mix of annuals and vegetables as well as herbs, dog roses
and honeysuckles. Many of these, in addition to the scented
geraniums Miranda grows in the greenhouse she has managed to
squeeze in, find their way indoors in the stunning arrangements
that she places throughout the house.
And it’s not just in the displays of branches, bulbs and flowers
that a sense of the botanical is evident. It can be seen in the Marthe
Armitage hand-printed wallpapers in the girls’ rooms – Violette Grey
has horse chestnuts and Poppy has birds and butterflies – while a
custom de Gournay Tree of Life design decorates the main bedroom

66 housebeautiful.com/uk

INSPIRING HOMES

The COLOUR SCHEMES
throughout were down
to MIRANDA

LIVING ROOM

Exposing the house’s original
ceiling joists has added
character as well as height
to the light-filled main living
space, which leads out onto
the small garden via two
lofty glazed doors

House Beautiful SEPTEMBER 2021 67

INSPIRING HOMES – even a set of doors features a flowering vine hand-drawn by a friend.
But these scenes of natural beauty didn’t necessarily come easily.
68 housebeautiful.com/uk In the transformation of their home, the colour schemes were down
to Miranda, but many of the other decisions involved fierce debate
between her and Bastien. The result, however, is a harmonious look
that seems rooted in the property’s history, and with all the charm
that Bastien was determined to include.

By exposing the rafters and painting the wooden floors, he’s created
a relaxed and informal backdrop that perfectly enhances the happy
mix of recycled and time-worn pieces from vintage fairs, as well as
quirky and interesting treasures sourced abroad. In the kitchen, for

The KITCHEN walls
are covered in ART
– most of it by the
couple’s FRIENDS

instance, Tolix chairs and a table created from a piece of marble
on steel I-beams came from a Paris flea market. In order to create a
room that felt more like a living area than a purely functional space,
the couple decided to forgo wall cabinets for artworks, much of it
done by friends, while Miranda’s substantial collection of china is
housed in a huge unit topped with 300-year-old white oak.

Referencing Miranda and Bastien’s heritages, the first floor
has been decorated with a French aesthetic in mind – featuring
a traditional chevron-pattern parquet flooring typical of Parisian
apartments – and the middle floor with an English look. However
it’s at the top of this townhouse where the couple’s styles meld.

This New York-inspired zone is home to a fabulous combination
of traditional and designer elements. This is perfectly illustrated in
the bathroom, with the inclusion of an eighteenth-century Swedish
carved bench that Miranda bought at auction, and a hanging light
created by Dutch designer Gerrit Rietveld in the early part of the
20th century, which Bastien bought online.

Like the kitchen, the bathroom is more than just a functional space
– designed for relaxation, it features an elegant navy-painted rolltop
bath, comfortable upholstered seating, and simple shelves built by
Bastien, holding an array of books. The couple spend much of their
time up here and it’s where they catch up at the end of the day. They
believe this area, where their tastes meet, to be the most successful
part of their interior – a little creative tension, perhaps, being an
essential ingredient in creating such a harmonious result. HB

KITCHEN board next to the window
to maximise light levels while
The kitchen’s white-oak working on new designs
countertop is a favourite
spot for displaying flowering GARDEN
branches and bulbs
Miranda used hazel wattle
OFFICE hurdle fencing to give the
garden a country feel
Landscape architect Miranda
has positioned her drawing

House Beautiful SEPTEMBER 2021 69

The BATHROOM
is more than just
a FUNCTIONAL

SPACE – it’s
designed for
RELAXING

BATHROOM MAIN BEDROOM

Top left This space includes Above Bastien designed
a Gerrit Rietveld pendant the modern sofa
light and comfy furniture, Opposite Customised
such as an armchair de Gournay Tree of Life
Left Bookshelves above wallpaper frames the bed
a Swedish Gustavian-era
bench create a library feel

70 housebeautiful.com/uk

INSPIRING HOMES

House Beautiful SEPTEMBER 2021 71

GET THE LOOK

Recreate Miranda’s vintage style with soft florals and heirloom pieces

1 4
3

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1 Oliver lampshade, from £18, Neptune 2 White stoneware lamp base, £145, Trouva 3 Darling mirror, £230, Pooky 4 Camellia Chinoiserie
Duck Egg wallpaper mural, from £40, Surface View 5 Grantley armchair, £995, Arlo & Jacob 6 Keita seagrass basket, £40, La Redoute

7 Tonbridge rolltop bath, £480, Bathroom Mountain 8 Dixon handwoven rug, £254, Rug Vista 9 Eugenia bench, £1,095, Oka 10 Cabbages

& Roses Paris Rose linen cushion cover, £35.99, Elli Mae Cushions, Etsy FOR STORE DETAILS SEE WHERE TO BUY PAGE

STYLE IT FAST FOR UNDER £30

Sanderson Kamala Auricula jug, £29.95, Half-dipped stoneware Citrus Limonium framed Broseley footed pot, COMPILED BY DAISY BENDALL
cushion, £26.99, Wayfair Annabel James vase, £22, West Elm print, £14.95, Juniqe £19, Neptune

72 housebeautiful.com/uk

PHOTOGRAPHY LIVING INSIDE/WARREN HEATH COMING NEXT MONTH

STYLE
INSPIRATION

10 ways to make your home on trend for autumn
Focus on flooring / Get confident with colour

»

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House Beautiful SEPTEMBER 2021 73

Glass ACT

A couple with a passion for architecture fulfilled their ambition of
building a holiday home from scratch, and in an extraordinary location

WORDS DOMINIC BRADBURY/INSIDE FEATURES | PHOTOGRAPHY RACHAEL SMITH/INSIDE FEATURES

74 housebeautiful.com/uk

INSPIRING HOMES

HOME EXTERIOR
PROFILE
Designed by architect
WHO LIVES HERE Guy Hollaway, Pobble
Shilen Patel, who runs an House is clad with larch,
innovation company, his Corten steel and cement
wife Rachel Murray, a fibreboard. It has no formal
geography teacher, and garden or fencing, and
their three children, Jaymin, blends seamlessly into
its coastal environment
Flores and Tilika
THE PROPERTY LIVING ROOM
A detached single-storey
dwelling in Dungeness Double-aspect glazing
on the Kent coast offers stunning panoramic
views of the surrounding
area. Flores relaxes on a
modern oak-framed sofa
by Another Country, while
the rug is from Ikea

House Beautiful SEPTEMBER 2021 75

for Shilen Patel and his wife Rachel Murray, having a
family retreat by the sea was a long-cherished dream,
and the idea of building something new appealed to
Shilen, who has a passion for architecture and design.
The two wishes were granted in the form of Pobble House,
in the dramatic setting of Dungeness on the Kent coast.
This is something of a Marmite location, with its
expanses of shingle, big skies and nuclear power station
looming nearby. Artist and filmmaker Derek Jarman helped make
Dungeness famous with his own striking house and shingle garden,
recorded in the landmark book Derek Jarman’s Garden. Since then,
the area has become increasingly popular with artists and architects,
many of whom live alongside the fishing families and settled residents
of this curious English enclave.

Shilen first became interested in this part of the coast on boyhood
bike rides from south London, and for many years his family kept a
beach hut in Whitstable in Kent where they enjoyed days out by
the sea. However, Shilen and Rachel decided they would like more
substantial accommodation as a holiday escape from the working
week and their terraced home in London’s Finsbury Park.

‘We made the decision that we wanted a bolthole of some
description, where the family could let loose and be by the sea,’ says
Shilen. ‘So we started thinking about where we might like to be,
and Dungeness came back into my mind as somewhere that would
be really interesting to investigate. I was a little uncertain at first about
whether Rachel would like it, but we drove down and fell in love with
the otherworldliness of it. It’s not like living in a picture-postcard

76 housebeautiful.com/uk

INSPIRING HOMES

LIVING AREA

In this sociable, open-plan
space, seating, including
1950s armchairs sourced
via Ebay, is arranged
around a woodburning
stove by Skantherm

FAMILY

Shilen and Rachel with, from
left, Jaymin, Flores and Tilika

House Beautiful SEPTEMBER 2021 77

INSPIRING HOMES

KITCHEN

Russell Holborough
designed the kitchen,
with appliances by
Siemens. The Bramah
pendant lights are by
Michael Young, available
from Heal’s

DINING ROOM

Fitted benches have
much-needed storage built
in, and the vintage French
school chairs bought on
Ebay provide extra seating

78 housebeautiful.com/uk

CHILDREN’S
ROOM

This fun space sits
within a new part of the
house that was once
occupied by a garage.
The bunks are bespoke,
with throws from the
National Trust Shop

‘We wanted it to be OPEN
and sociable, but needed plenty

of built-in STORAGE’

village, but we really enjoy the solitude, peace and quiet, as well as Flores, plus any visiting friends, while a glass link to the rest of the
the landscape, which is constantly changing.’ house echoes the gap between the two original structures.

Shilen and Rachel came across a 1930s bungalow and garage set back A spine hallway passes two bedrooms and bathrooms before arriving in
from the slim coast road that traverses the headland. The property the open-plan sitting room and kitchen, and a recessed dining area, picked
was in poor condition and crumbling, so Shilen knew that the family out in a seaside blue, contrasts with the fresh whites and oak floors. In this
would have a good chance of getting planning permission to either sociable space, seating is arranged around a woodburner and big corner
replace or refurbish it. Research into contemporary architects with windows framing views of the lighthouse and open landscape. The
local connections led them to Guy Hollaway, who has offices in Hythe dining area, with its bespoke benches and large table, is a focal point for
and London. Together, architect and clients began working on ideas for family life – four o’clock tea and cake is an honoured tradition here.
a replacement house that would echo the size, height and profile of the
original, while offering a contemporary home suited to the family and The area around Pobble House has been restored and returned to
spacious enough to accommodate visiting friends. nature. With no boundaries between the building and the surrounding
expanse of shingle and grassland, the dramatic sense of openness and
‘We wanted it to be open and sociable but we needed plenty of space is reinforced. Its pale colours mean the new house, which took
built-in storage to stash away a lot of kit – a bit like you would have in a year to build and is now shared with holiday-let guests, blends into
a boat,’ says Shilen. The other side of the brief was building a modern the landscape as a discreet presence in this extraordinary setting.
house that blended into the landscape rather than standing out.
‘I just love the contrast with everyday life,’ says Rachel. ‘In London
Working with the original footprint of the house and sightlines of we have a terraced home and the school run and all the normal things,
Dungeness Lighthouse, Hollaway designed a new timber-framed house but here we have the space and open scenery and the big skies. It’s all
clad largely in pale larch, with an outrigger clad in Corten steel. ‘The about going for a walk, throwing stones in the sea or inviting friends
building is extremely durable, which is important considering the harsh to come and stay and going over to the fish hut and then cooking a
coastal climate and exposed setting,’ says the architect. The old garage good meal together. Having no television is a big help as well – the
was replaced with a six-bed children’s bunkroom for Tilika, Jaymin and view of the beach is all we need.’

House Beautiful SEPTEMBER 2021 79

INSPIRING HOMES BATHROOM

BEDROOM This calm, clean-lined
space features a bath
One of the two double and sink from Duravit.
bedrooms, both of The taps and fittings
which are simply are from Crosswater
furnished. The bed, and Grohe HB
a bespoke design by
Russell Holborough, FOR STORE DETAILS SEE
has integrated storage WHERE TO BUY PAGE

The house is a DISCREET
presence in an

EXTRAORDINARY setting

80 housebeautiful.com/uk

GET THE LOOK

Shilen and Rachel opted for contemporary designs with hints of copper and orange

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8

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1 White customisable TV stand, £369 (as shown), Tylko 2 Master Edwards wall clock, £59, Newgate 3 Norma hanging light,
£129.90, Lights.co.uk 4 Merino wool throw, £75, Scooms 5 Zita sofa, £1,299, Made 6 Sienna Taupe rug, £269.99,

My Furniture 7 Cleo Pouffe Blush by Zipcode Design, £84.99, Wayfair 8 Cona floor lamp by Lucide, £157.99, Wayfair 9 Kilo metal
nest of tables, £95, Habitat 10 Friendly Folk cushion, £49, Andrew Martin FOR STORE DETAILS SEE WHERE TO BUY PAGE

STYLE IT FAST FOR UNDER £30

COMPILED BY DAISY BENDALL Apartment wall hooks, Wave cushion, Hammered stainless-steel Night Seas mixing Sleek Edison copper
£25/three, Made £25, Maemara serving bowl, £10, matt, £16.91/1L, Dulux pendant, £29, Industville

John Lewis & Partners

House Beautiful SEPTEMBER 2021 81

ALL SWEETNESS
AND LIGHT

Brick floors, bare windows and all-white walls provide the perfect
backdrop for vintage furnishings in this Suffolk cottage

WORDS CAROLINE ATKINS | PHOTOGRAPHY BELLE DAUGHTRY | PRODUCTION BEN KENDRICK
82 housebeautiful.com/uk

INSPIRING HOMES

HOME
PROFILE

WHO LIVES HERE
Amanda Daughtry, her
husband Richard, their
daughter Belle, and Peppa

their rescue dog
THE PROPERTY
A whitewashed Suffolk
cottage dating from the
17th century with an
18th-century extension

DINING ROOM

Opposite Vintage fabrics
and a delicate still-life
painting on the mantelpiece
by Suffolk artist Claire
Halsey, set the country
cottage scene

SITTING ROOM

White denim slip covers
on the sofa have a casual,
rough-dried finish that’s
invitingly comfortable

House Beautiful SEPTEMBER 2021 83

he downshift from townhouse to country cottage and the family no longer needed so many bedrooms: the Suffolk cottage
can be a bumpy ride. But if you’re lucky, enough has all the hallmarks of a place where its female inhabitants – and their
of your old furniture will suit your new place to possessions – can breathe freely after years of accommodating male
smooth the transition. And if you’re really lucky, as priorities. You can understand how cream-covered sofas, elegant
the Daughtry family was, everything fits so well, it painted furniture, faded floral linens and antique chandeliers would
actually looks better in its new setting – as though look more comfortable here than in a three-storey townhouse, and
their scale also suits the lower ceilings and smaller windows.
Tthis was the house it had been waiting for all along.
Amanda Daughtry and her photographer There’s nothing precious about it, though: it’s all relaxed rather
daughter Belle have always collected pieces from antiques shops and than careful-where-you-sit perfect, and it’s home to Peppa, their
brocante fairs. Their eye for design – and Belle’s natural gift for creating rescue Shih Tzu, as well as Richard, Amanda and Belle. The
camera-ready rooms – found the perfect home in this whitewashed downstairs floors are reclaimed brick, plain and rugged; the kitchen
Suffolk cottage with its steep red-tiled roof. They’d moved from a worksurfaces have been crafted from zinc and scaffold boards; and
residential street in an Essex town to an isolated village four miles from the windows are left pretty much curtainless apart from the odd
the nearest shop, so the lifestyle change could hardly have been greater. length of voile or lace. ‘The countryside is so wonderful here that
‘Especially as the Beast from the East arrived a couple of months after we’d rather put up with draughts and have the view,’ says Amanda.
us,’ recalls Amanda. ‘We were snowed in for a week and wondered what The cottage is surrounded by farmland, with a meadow of ox-eye
we’d done.’ But the house itself welcomed them with ease. Open and daisies in summer and dozens of walks for Peppa. ‘I think being
‘flowing’, with rooms that lead naturally into one another, it has a townies makes us appreciate it even more,’ she says.
surprising amount of space for a cottage, with no narrow corridors or
poky corners. It’s managed to retain all its original character – 17th Amanda remembers Belle being the sort of child who couldn’t resist
century in the oldest part – without being the ‘jumble of small rooms’ rearranging her bedroom furniture. ‘I would be downstairs and hear
that Amanda and Belle wanted to avoid. her dragging things across the floor.’ Belle studied photography at
A level, then started work at the Cabbages & Roses store in Chelsea,
Crucially, it also has two adjoining sitting rooms, ‘so Dad can initially as a sales assistant but gradually taking on photographic work
watch the football in one of them,’ explains Belle. The downshift was for the brand and then consolidating her skills by assisting on shoots (she
prompted by the fact that her three elder brothers had all left home helped with the visuals for Rachel Ashwell’s book My Floral Affair

KITCHEN

New cabinets are from
the ready made range by
Suffolk company Plain
English at British Standard.
Above, a couple of shelves
hold a carefully curated
selection of ceramics

84 housebeautiful.com/uk

INSPIRING HOMES

SITTING ROOM based in Los Angeles.
Vintage fabrics are matched
Top left Peppa sits happily by an antique mirror from
amid timeworn surfaces and Rosehip on the mantelpiece
crooked lines in the brick-
floored room GARDEN STUDIO

DINING ROOM Top and above Belle
prepares to photograph
Left The dining room bench dried flower arrangements
was from Shabby Chic, now

House Beautiful SEPTEMBER 2021 85

INSPIRING HOMES

BEDROOM DRESSING and Pearl Lowe’s Faded Glamour). The move to Suffolk gave her the
ROOM momentum to launch her freelance business full time. Her garden
Top A romantic flounced studio doubles as an extra guest room (for when her brothers come to
lampshade crowns Belle’s Top right An impressive stay), furnished with daybeds that can be pulled outside on summer
bed like a coronet canopy. afternoons. But most of the time it’s fully stocked with her fabric and
The rugs and bedlinen are collection of Cabbages & wallpaper swatches, moodboards, huge buckets of dried flowers and
mainly from Shabby Chic trays of her postcard images of the garden.
Above An artistic mix on Roses baskets and Gil Fox
Belle’s bedroom mantelpiece The house itself, meanwhile, provides any number of backdrops
includes a Norwegian portrait straw hats are left on show for Belle’s Instagram posts and lifestyle and interiors photography.
Her favourite is the dining room (‘the light there is perfect for my
86 housebeautiful.com/uk photos’), in the 18th-century extension that reaches out under a lower
roof at one end of the house. Amanda’s happy place is the kitchen,
tucked in under the cat-slide roof at the back, looking out onto the
garden. It’s the only room where the family made any major changes,
fitting new cabinets from British Standard and leaving the upper walls
clear of cupboards; instead, a couple of shelves hold carefully curated
ceramics and the occasional painting, and a narrow-planked ceiling
highlights the steep pitch of the roof.

Three staircases – one for each bedroom – provide the house with
plenty of private space, despite the open flow of the ground-floor rooms.
It’s the bedrooms, with their steep, beamed ceilings and low dormer
windows, that give scope for Amanda and Belle to indulge their more
romantic decorative ideas. Painted cabinets in pastel blues and pinks
match the faded florals of rugs and bedlinen, mostly from Rachel
Ashwell, whose Shabby Chic brand suits the house perfectly. (‘Only
she’s based in LA now, so we have to ship things over from there!’)

In Belle’s room, a tiered lampshade, suspended above the bed rather
like a canopy, adds a fairy-tale quality. And on a cream-painted chest
sits a vintage chandelier hung with crystal droplets and turquoise glass
flowers – a long-ago purchase from the Country Living Fair, says Belle.
‘It used to hang in our old dining room, but the ceilings are too low for
it in the cottage.’ One small piece of the old house that didn’t quite fit
the new one – but still manages to look completely at home… HB

The COTTAGE
is surrounded by
FARMLAND with a
MEADOW of ox-eye
daisies in summer

ALFRESCO
DINING

A soft cushion brings comfort
to the rustic furniture on this
sheltered terrace area

FOR STORE DETAILS SEE
WHERE TO BUY PAGE

House Beautiful SEPTEMBER 2021 87

GET THE LOOK

Recreate Amanda and Belle’s country-cottage style with pretty florals and natural finishes

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1 Country Rose Pink wallpaper, £60/roll, Country Living Collection at Homebase 2 Bilbao lampshade, £81, Mapoésie at Smallable
3 Faux bracken fern with cement pot, £35.50, Audenza 4 Village log basket, £55, Braided Rug Company 5 Chateauneuf reclaimed wood
three-drawer bedside table, £360, The French Bedroom Company 6 Merci cups No 9, £10.50 each, Abode Living 7 Fox & Ivy Wisteria
double duvet cover set, £26, Tesco Home 8 Farlov three-seat sofa, £595, Ikea 9 Morocco printed slub Indigo throw, £50, Walton & Co

10 Levi bathroom stool, £80, Sweetpea & Willow FOR STORE DETAILS SEE WHERE TO BUY PAGE

STYLE IT FAST FOR UNDER £30

Floral teapot, £28, Linen cushion cover, Pink speckled stoneware Flower poster, from £8.95 Pink Hydrangea ceramic COMPILED BY TILLY NATHAN
John Lewis & Partners £12.99, H&M Home jug, £11, Heavenly Homes (unframed), Desenio mug, £9, Daisy Park

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OPEN

This cleverly extended maisonette brings the best
elements of warehouse living into a Victorian setting

WORDS JO LEEVERS | PHOTOGRAPHY FIONA WALKER-ARNOTT
90 housebeautiful.com/uk

INSPIRING HOMES

HOME
PROFILE

WHO LIVES HERE
Carrie Hegan, a management
consultant, her husband Eoin,
an animation producer, and

their son Ethan, aged
18 months

THE PROPERTY
A three-bedroom Victorian
maisonette with a loft extension

in east London  
PRICE £450,000 (in 2012)
MONEY SPENT £160,000
WHAT IT’S WORTH NOW £1m

LIVING AREA

Vintage mixes with new in
this room, where two Holly
sofas from Sofa.com frame
a mid-century Pierre Vandel
coffee table. The artwork
above the mantelpiece is
by Dan Hillier at Nelly Duff
and the two photographs
are by Slim Aarons

House Beautiful SEPTEMBER 2021 91

DINING AREA

‘We assumed the kitchen
would have to stay in this
corner, but our interior
architects suggested it
would work better as a
dining area,’ says Carrie.
A rosewood table and
Kai Kristiansen dining chairs
bring mid-century-style

When Carrie and Eoin Hegan first lived
together it was in a converted factory
space in east London. And when the
couple decided to move on and buy a
home together, it made more sense to
look to the area’s wealth of Victorian
townhouses that were more suitable for family life. But they never
quite forgot their first love – relaxed open-plan living.

‘When we moved here, the first floor was three rooms, but it was
always our intention to knock them into one large space,’ says Carrie.
‘We had got used to the feel and style of warehouse living, so we
decided to recreate it here in a more refined way.’

Now their living and dining space flows into the kitchen; their son’s
bedroom and the bathroom are refurbished and an extension created a
cool main bedroom suite in the loft space. Throughout, urban elements
such as bare brick walls, wooden flooring and old-school brassware are set
against shapely mid-century furniture, artworks and statement lighting.

As the new bedroom suite was created from scratch, it was relatively
straightforward to plan out, and it benefits from floor-to-ceiling
bifolds across the back wall. But reworking the main living space
proved to be more of a challenge. ‘This floorplan used to be a skinny
kitchen and a dining room at the front of the house, overlooking a park,
and a seldom-used living room at the back,’ remembers Carrie. Tom
Phillips, head designer at Phillips Design Studio helped the couple
imagine this floor and suggested moving the kitchen to the back of
the house, where light floods in through the high window.

‘We hadn’t considered switching things around, but Tom’s ideas
opened up a completely fresh floor plan,’ says Carrie. ‘The kitchen
now gets loads of natural light, which is really practical, while the living
room and new dining area have views over a park at the front.’

The kitchen was bespoke by Phillips Design Studio, but Carrie
sourced all the finishing touches, from reconditioned vintage taps to

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INSPIRING HOMES

KITCHEN

The bespoke kitchen is
by Phillips Design Studio.
Midas bar stools from
Rockett St George and
glass pendants from
Mullan Lighting are
perfect for this airy space
Opposite Carrie chose
art from Nelly Duff as
a finishing touch

House Beautiful SEPTEMBER 2021 93

brass bar stools, which are perfect for breakfast or drinks with friends.
The separate dining area is close enough to be practical, but also feels
as though it occupies its own zone, alongside an exposed brick wall.
‘This spot is where the old kitchen used to be,’ explains Carrie, ‘but
it works far better as a dining space.’

By the time the extension and renovations started, Carrie was
pregnant with their son, Ethan. Inevitably, the work over-ran, so
Carrie’s first weeks of maternity leave were far from the relaxing break
she’d envisaged. ‘Instead of pampering myself, I got woken up early
every day by the builders and then headed out for most of the day
to escape the dust and banging,’ she says.

A few weeks after Ethan was born, the loft was finished and they could
head up to their new escapist bedroom as a family of three. ‘Even in
winter, this is a really bright and light room,’ says Carrie. ‘On a weekend
morning, it’s a great feeling to wake up here and look out at the sky.’

Carrie’s style evolved as the renovation progressed. ‘I love how you
are exposed to all kinds of inspiration in London,’ she says. ‘I get ideas
from trips to the city’s flea markets, art exhibitions, cafes and bars.’

The lights over the kitchen island are a case in point. ‘Eoin and I got
chatting to a coffee shop owner in Soho and I asked her where she’d
bought her lights, so she put me on to her supplier. The people you
meet can be a fantastic source of inspiration, alongside interiors
magazines and Pinterest.’

Art and photography also add plenty of character, from classic
Slim Aarons photographs they bought in New York to limited edition
prints by contemporary artists such as Dan Hillier. Even their son
Ethan’s room has its fair share of interesting artworks, with cute but

LANDING

Bare brick walls are a
reminder of the couple’s
warehouse-living days

MAIN BEDROOM

A Feather & Black bed has
a bird’s-eye view through the
bifold windows and an artwork
by Aida at Nelly Duff hangs
on the exposed brick wall

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INSPIRING HOMES

BATHROOM

A brilliantly blowsy
wallpaper by House
Of Hackney adds an
element of surprise. The
basin has been mounted
onto a vintage cabinet

House Beautiful SEPTEMBER 2021 95

INSPIRING HOMES

‘I get IDEAS from trips to FLEA MARKETS,
art EXHIBITIONS, cafes and bars’

cool animal prints. Carrie is a self-confessed bargain hunter and a
favourite find is the vintage Pierre Vandel coffee table she found on
Ebay. ‘A glass coffee table wouldn’t be everyone’s perfect choice with
a toddler, but so far both have survived!’ she jokes. There are plenty
more mid-century shapes in this space, including a sideboard, now
placed between the living room and the kitchen – a perfect place to
store all of Eoin’s old vinyl records.

The rosewood dining table and vintage Kai Kristiansen dining chairs
are also pieces that Carrie sourced from online vintage sellers. ‘When I
look around our home, there’s a satisfaction in knowing where I tracked
down each item,’ she says. Several pieces were bought abroad: ‘The
living room rug was haggled for in Morocco and my favourite vintage
jar in the kitchen was bought in a French market on our honeymoon,’
she adds. ‘The memories make them feel all the more special.’ HB

BATHROOM cot ensure Ethan’s room
is a delight. The quilted
Top left Curtains in velvet blanket is from Ferm Living
from Loome Fabrics are a Left Bright pops of colour
luxurious addition and were brighten the space. Eoin
made up by Carrie’s mum, worked on the animation
a seamstress for the Lego-produced
Nexo Knights, so the Eiffel
ETHAN’S ROOM tower Lego was a must

Above A gallery of animal FOR STORE DETAILS SEE
images, retro toys and the WHERE TO BUY PAGE
Scandi simplicity of a Stokke

96 housebeautiful.com/uk

GET THE LOOK

Carrie and Eoin have combined neutral decor with colourful highlights and plenty of texture

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1 Flowers print by Jan Davidsz de Heem, £40 (excl frame), PSTR Studio 2 Kiefer light fitting, £40, Dar Lighting Group 3 Keswick rectangular
coffee table, £810, Neptune 4 Dora vase, £39, Fika Living 5 Areca palm, £95, Sprout 6 Brockwell planter, £75, Garden Trading 7 Nyhavn cabinet,

£479, Swoon 8 Large cotton geometric rug, £235, Rose & Grey 9 Model 01 sofa, £895, Swyft 10 Jaipur cushion, £35, Christy

FOR STORE DETAILS SEE WHERE TO BUY PAGE

STYLE IT FAST FOR UNDER £30

COMPILED BY DAISY BENDALL Brighton Seafront Seagrass magazine Small Indigo serving Tall Funnel Neck vase Palm Leaves cushion,
art print, £28 (excl frame) basket, £10, Wilko bowl, £24.95, Nkuku by Madam Stoltz, £21, Folk Interiors
£17, Trouva
Firewater Gallery

House Beautiful SEPTEMBER 2021 97

ON SALE
10AUGUST

VINTAGE ISSUE 2
IS BACK IN STOCK
AND AVAILABLE

TO ORDER

The latest edition is full of ideas on how to bring the vintage look into your
home – whether you want to curate collections of reclaimed tiles and
floral paintings or decorate in retro or Bloomsbury styles. Plus, the

comprehensive sourcebook will help you track down your own treasures

Order a copy at hearstmagazines.co.uk/cl-specials
or purchase your copy in selected retailers

SPACESOLUTIONS

Make the most of every inch of your home...

A case for style

Stow away dinnerware, books, blankets or anything
that looks attractive when partially seen through
the ribbed glass of this smart piece.
Ike six-door sideboard, £895, Graham & Green

Amber lamp, £175; raffia shade,
£80; short vase, £48; parrot print,
£75; Amelie plate, £11.95; tall
vase, £95; faux magnolia branch,
£21.95; faux pussy willow, £9.95;
all Graham & Green

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KITCHEN BATHROOM HOME OFFICE ISLAND LIFE

A 1960s space has been brought Two rooms have been knocked Monochrome styling mixes with Things to think about when

into the 21st century with sleek into one to create an airy room natural flooring and accessories planning a kitchen island. We

units and bold patterns with floor-to-ceiling tiling for an inviting place to work pick some hardworking designs

House Beautiful SEPTEMBER 2021 99

mAamkaeozvienrgs

‘Our time-warp kitchen
is now fit for the future’

Taking down an unused chimney revealed a bright, open-plan space

WORDS MANDI MILLAR | PHOTOGRAPHY FIONA WALKER-ARNOTT

Zoë Rigby and Tom WORKTOP
Feeney, owners of
Agapanthus Interiors, Corian provides a sleek,
share this three-bed seamless finish
Victorian end-terrace
in Manchester with What was your vision? took six months to get the project started, during
their children, Arthur We wanted a light-filled open space which we lost our builder. In the end, Tom took
that flowed from the hallway and had the project management on himself, having had
and Walter room for the children to play. The some experience renovating our shop.
back of the house gets sunlight all afternoon and  
‘The old kitchen was evening and we wanted to make the most of that. How did you juggle the project with work?
a narrow space with We were after a fairly modern backdrop where we We worked around our business, so if the shop
1960s cupboards and could layer up textures, materials, colours and was busy we couldn’t do as much on the kitchen.
a Belfast sink built into antiques to create our own unique kitchen-diner.
the brickwork. Between Describe your style…
the kitchen and former This was just one room you were renovating… We don’t follow trends; our approach is to buy what
sitting room was a big Yes. The kitchen was part of a whole-house refurb, we love. We’ve got things from France and Turkey
chimney and fireplace and the structural work required nine steel beams that don’t necessarily go together according to
and columns from the ground floor up to the roof. ‘the rules’, but that doesn’t matter to us. 
taking up a huge The rotten windows were rebuilt as wooden sashes
amount of space.’ and the room was completely replumbed, rewired Is there anything you’d do differently?
and replastered. The biggest challenge, though, The cement tiles. The recommended sealing
was removing the central chimney stack that process for them didn’t work and, with underfloor
serviced the old kitchen and sitting room behind. heating, they’d be expensive to replace.
 
Did it all run smoothly? Are you pleased with the results?
Not exactly! It got off to a rocky start due to issues It was a huge challenge, but having our dream
with building regulations and the party wall. It kitchen makes it all worthwhile. HB

OUR SOURCEBOOK Antique pieces Agapanthus Interiors agapanthusinteriors.com Units Arlington

arlingtondesign.uk Antique Spanish reclaimed wall tiles Bert & May bertandmay.com Floor cement tiles
Cement Tile Shop cementtileshop.com Paint Little Greene littlegreene.com Furniture Normann Copenhagen

normann-copenhagen.com Building On The Brink Studio onthebrink.studio

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