Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2022 i 25 Beautiful Homes

EDITOR’S LETTER Anyone who is sent into panic mode at this time of year may not want to linger for too long over Eve Caudy-Prudhon’s description of her Christmas preparations. Months beforehand, she is planning her decorations and, she says, ‘I pay huge amounts of attention to how I wrap my Christmas presents’. Her beautiful period home on page 30 is a testimony to her festive prowess. Also full of holiday cheer is Marie-Charlotte and Romain Toczé’s stunning abode on page 100. Inspired by her childhood viewings of Home Alone, Marie-Charlotte takes a wonderfully full-on approach to the holidays. If you like your seasonal style with a contemporary twist, have a look at Maxine and Miles Hancock’s new build on page 153, where they have incorporated lots of greenery and…

When Tracy Gray first viewed her home she was enchanted, not just by the oversized front door and spacious hallway, but also the variety of windows and the individuality of every room. ‘Virtually all of the windows were different shapes and styles, including two quirky little portholes,’ says Tracy. ‘I’d always hoped my forever home would be a property of this era, bursting with charm and character – and this house surpassed my expectations.’ A REDESIGN IN THE MAKING Back in 2012, Tracy, who owns Under The Rose (undertherose.co.uk), a personalised jewellery company, and her husband Mark, who works in IT systems, began house-hunting for a long-term home for themselves and daughters Caitlin, 20, and 17-year-old Maddie. ‘Although we liked where we were living, we knew we wanted to live…

Heike Lind might easily have passed her future home without a flicker of interest. Such was the lack of appeal from the street. ‘It wasn’t a beauty,’ she reminisces. ‘The charm only became apparent after entering the courtyard and garden.’ Having married her partner, Otmar, the couple decided their life at the centre of Essen had run its course and a slower pace in the countryside beckoned. ‘We wanted our own house and a vegetable garden,’ says Heike. The old farmhouse, built in 1900, was in need of serious renovation which impacted the sale, ‘The negotiations dragged on because we had to include the restoration costs in the purchase price but we saw the potential to create something very special.’ The property also afforded the opportunity for Heike and Otmar’s…

Sand, forest green, sea blue and off-white: these are the tones that anchor Vivienne Wang’s London apartment. An ergonomic layout coupled with decorative details imbues this home with the characteristics that Chinese-born Vivienne has long prized: harmony, respect for nature and a furniture placement based on the principles of feng shui. Originally from Beijing, Vivienne, who says she was born with a spirit of adventure, has lived variously in New Zealand, Australia and Vancouver before settling in London with her two boys, Eric, 15 and Elvin, eight. ‘I guess I’ve absorbed a lot of different cultures on my travels, which has allowed me to combine some Eastern and Western influences in my interiors,’ she says. ‘I know that I love gentle schemes that make me feel calm and relaxed.’ However,…

FAVOURITE FEATURE ‘One is the bay window area we added in the kitchen to create a seating nook’ Katie and Paolo Frade originally planned to move house in 2016. ‘Our previous home was almost perfect, but didn’t have enough space for entertaining or a separate area for adults – two of our “must haves”,’ says Katie. Deterred by the uncertainty of the post-Brexit property market, they decided to improve, rather than move. Then fate took a hand. ‘Typically, as soon as we’d completed the refurbishment, Paolo found this house online,’ says Katie. ‘We hadn’t considered this location at all, but the house backs onto the park and as soon as I walked in, I knew that this was “the one.”’ Despite their favourable first impressions, the couple knew the house…

Even as a child, Eve Caudy-Prudhon was decorating her bedroom with her collections. ‘I had lots of postcards that I would arrange on my walls,’ she remembers, adding, ‘My father was a painter and I grew up in a very artistic milieu. Perhaps my love of decorating stems from that.’ The former farmhouse Eve shares with her husband Thierry and her three children, Ludmilla, 23, Héléna, 22, and Zacharie, 15, is filled with inspirational arrangements, from collections of woven baskets in the kitchen to framed botanical prints in the bedroom. ‘My day job is very different: I work as a psychiatric nurse and when I come home, I like to be surrounded by lovely things; I think it soothes me,’ Eve explains. When Eve met Thierry a few years ago,…

When Lydia Macpherson and Nick MacKinnon went on holiday to Yorkshire, they weren’t originally intending to buy a new home. ‘It was pretty much an impulse buy,’ says Lydia. ‘We were staying with my family and walked to a nearby beauty spot called Top Withens, the abandoned farm which is said to have inspired Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights. The last house on the path up to Top Withens was for sale, and it immediately caught our eye.’ The couple, who are both poets, were instantly attracted by the property’s literary history. In addition, there were also strong family connections. ‘The house was once owned by my four-times-great uncle in the 1800s and my family all live within a radius of a few miles, so we’re extremely well rooted in the…

HOW DID YOU COME TO BE INVOLVED IN THIS PROJECT? We were brought in midway through the project to help with some of the layout changes, as well as the decorative finishes and furnishings. We worked very collaboratively with the owners, who wanted a striking interior that reflected their tastes while staying true to the property’s architectural heritage. DESCRIBE THE HOMEOWNERS’ STYLE. The homeowners are very interiors savvy and had a plethora of design and architectural references to share with us. They wanted the house to be comfortable, warm and welcoming – a true family home. At the same time, they were keen to make bold moves that would create impact without being overstated. WHAT WERE THE BIGGEST PRIORITIES FOR THE HOMEOWNERS? The kitchen was a huge priority because this…

Marie-Charlotte and Romain Toczé’s 19th-century house in the centre of Bordeaux blends classic French style with British seasonal influences, making it a uniquely beautiful space to be at Christmas time. ‘I love the flamboyant decorating style used in English homes, with the big tree, lots of garlands and decorative trinkets all over the place,’ says Marie-Charlotte. ‘It’s such a joyful way to welcome the festive season.’ The family’s move from Paris to Bordeaux came about in 2018, when the couple set about finding the house of their dreams with their daughters, Constance and Victoire. After several months spent searching, they found this spacious, three-storey townhouse with a charming back garden, and fell in love with it. Renovated more than 20 years prior, the interior was in a decent state, but…

Stepping inside an old, thatched cottage is like being enveloped in a warm embrace, says country interiors aficionado Rebecca Lovatt, a lifestyle writer and stylist who has created a wonderful home to share with husband Jamie and their two children, Freddie, 13, and Verity, 11. ‘Our house is especially cosy in winter,’ she smiles. ‘And during the festive season it’s lovely to gather with family and friends round the Aga, or the inglenook in the sitting room. I love to prepare mince pies and other festive treats with the children; then my florist friend Karen Attwood will help me adorn every surface with fresh seasonal arrangements; and for very special gatherings, my friend Lucy Hoyle, who’s a professional caterer, will whip up some of her delicious party nibbles for us…

Tucked away in a warren of Victorian terraces in Bristol, a welcoming rosy-pink front door dressed in a simple wreath hints that a stylish and festive interior lies within. Step inside and a distinct prettiness is accompanied by an air of faded glamour, a warming nod to the East, twinkling pops of gold and a faux floral thread running joyfully throughout. The home of Jade Oliver, owner of lifestyle brand Heavenly Homes and Gardens, and her husband Gary Uglow, an environmental manager, comprises a subtle colour palette, carefully chosen vintage pieces, soft velvety textures and plenty of architectural interest. Before Jade was able to flex her interior design muscles the house needed a complete renovation, a task the couple largely undertook themselves. ‘Despite most of the original features being removed,…

DECORATING ADVICE ‘Don’t be afraid to scale up your furniture, even in a small space, as it never fails to look impressive’ Lynda Myles-Till admits Christmas is her favourite time of year. ‘If I could, I’d start decorating in August, but my family might have me committed,’ she laughs. As an interior designer and fundraiser for Action for Children, Lynda’s Christmas countdown is meticulously planned – she has even built a shed just to store her decorations, which are all packed neatly in marked boxes. As Lynda has discovered, however, being this organised takes time and effort. Downsizing from a mansion meant ‘I had loads of furniture, but not the budget to buy a big enough house to fit it into,’ she says. So when she spotted a For Sale…

DESIGN TIP ‘We wanted everything to be practical – for example, the stools in the kitchen are robust outdoor pieces as is the fabric on our bed’s headboard’ There were two factors that sold this London townhouse to Scarlett and Oliver Jameson, the first being its fabulous location: the property is situated in the heart of Belgravia and it is surrounded by stylish boutiques and restaurants. ‘We are able to walk to the children’s schools and we are also close to Victoria Station. We spend our weekends in the country and we can simply hop on a train to get there,’ says Scarlett. The second big draw was the house itself: situated on a corner plot, the Grade II-listed building boasts lots of character. ‘It has a curved frontage which…

HOW DID YOU COME TO BE INVOLVED IN THIS PROJECT? Our clients, Colin and Katie Mooney, wanted a custom holiday home built for them an hour-and-a-half away from their main home in Seattle. Colin, who is originally from Co. Louth in Ireland, is chief transformation officer for EmployBridge and Katie is a stay-at-home mum to their three daughters, Mairead, five, Fiadh, three, and Lu, one. They looped in our design firm when they had first drafts of the architectural drawings, and we designed it from start to finish. CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE HOMEOWNERS’ STYLE AND BRIEF? They wanted to create a home that was light, airy and welcoming with some fun splashes of colour. It had to feel special and not like every other new build – a place where…

Christmas craziness reigns in our house every year,’ says Shaun Simons, who shares his characterful London home with his wife Brooke, a make-up artist, son Jack, nine, and daughter Jess, six. As Shaun grew up in the neighbourhood, family and friends are never far away, so festive celebrations start late morning as guests arrive for drinks, followed by a traditional turkey roast. ‘We then go for a long walk in the nearby park with dogs in tow – usually as many dogs as people,’ he laughs. FAVOURITE FEATURE ‘We were going to paint the units sage green – I’m so glad we went for the pink as it’s so individual’ The couple bought the house nine years ago after falling in love with its beautiful original period features, including panelling,…

HOW DID YOU BECOME INVOLVED IN THE PROJECT? I’ve known the family for over 20 years. Our long-standing relationship with the client made us the perfect choice for this project because we’re familiar with their style. DESCRIBE THE HOMEOWNERS’ STYLE. Classic/contemporary with winks to Scandinavian style. They love clean, comfortable lines, natural products balanced with ornate chandeliers and vibrant colours. HOW INVOLVED WERE THE OWNERS? Very involved. We even did lots of shopping and research together. Because of the house’s age, there was much troubleshooting to ensure the final result was amazing. WHAT WAS THE BRIEF? The clients’ love of colour, texture, art and historic details were the beginnings of the brief. We were asked to reinstate the Georgian features of the home while updating it for modern living. For…

In a home steeped in family history, interior designer Fenella Cockcroft takes great pleasure in preparing for a traditional Christmas, complete with all the trimmings. Her husband, Toby, their three children, Coco, 18, Otto, 17 and Rocco, 14, and their Basset Hounds, Mabel, Bugsy and Snuff, make quite a crowd before you have even included the many friends and relatives they are surrounded by in their delightful corner of North Yorkshire. ‘My family have lived here for generations,’ Fenella shares. ‘I was brought up on a farm, just over the hill from our house, and my mother still lives nearby.’ When she and Toby first married, they lived in a rented cottage there, before buying this property from her grandmother. ‘It was originally a row of three little farm cottages,…

FAVOURITE FEATURE ‘Our bath – we positioned it beneath the skylight so we can enjoy a view of the stars at night’ Miles and Maxine Hancock had long dreamed of building their own home, but until last year their plans had not come to fruition. It all changed when Miles spotted a plot of building land that had come up in the Cotswolds, in one of their favourite locations. ‘The Cotswolds has always felt like a special place for us,’ says Maxine. ‘We got engaged here and since then we’ve also enjoyed many happy family holidays here. We love the quaint character of the area.’ As a bonus to the great location, the plot also came with planning permission for a new-build home, which was already agreed and in place.…