8 minute read
GENTLE APPROACH An eighteenth
Gentle APPROACH
A muted palette and time-worn vintage pieces blend with the mellow stone walls and rustic beams in this eighteenth-century farmhouse in the Oxfordshire countryside
FEATURE & STYLING SARA BIRD PHOTOGRAPHY DAN DUCHARS
In the open-plan kitchen, the Bellini chairs and industrial light above the table are from 1st Dibs. The cabinetry is painted in Farrow & Ball’s Hague Blue and is teamed with worktops from Neolith. The trio of pendant lights are from Hector Finch.
ABOVE LEFT Anna and Richard made the outdoor table out of scaffolding planks. The Kubu wicker tub chairs are from Field & Hawken. ABOVE RIGHT Anna stands in the new boot room with Labrador Freddie keeping an eye out for visitors. The faux flagstone flooring is from Farmhouse Flagstones. Having both lived in London for 20 years, it was only after their son George was born that interior designer Anna Pullan and her husband Richard started to yearn for a more rural lifestyle. “It made us see the benefits of a country life and, as a family, we felt like we were paying the premium but no longer making the most of city life,” explains Anna. “With Richard’s mother in Summertown, Oxfordshire and my parents in Painswick, Gloucestershire, it made sense to move to one of the Cotswold villages in between, but we knew very little about the area.”
Anna admits she was nervous about moving out to the country and it was not an easy process. They visited villages at weekends and chatted to other parents in parks to get the lay of the land. “We saw plenty of villages with the swoon factor, but quickly realised that having a sense of community was key for us,” she says. “We could have gone for a bigger property further out, but here we have some nice pubs and lots of clubs for George, who is nine now. We feel like we are part of things and really appreciate that George can walk to the playing field to meet friends.”
The five-bedroom Grade II listed traditional Cotswold stone farmhouse the couple fell in love with dates back to around 1700 and is set in a quiet hamlet. “We saw a lot of properties that had been updated to varying degrees, but when we walked in here, despite it not having been touched for 50 years, it just felt like our home,” says Anna. “The interior was tired, but it had plenty of original features, including beams, fireplaces, flagstones and charming little twists and turns. Nevertheless, a change of layout was needed to make the higgledy-piggledy spaces more suited to modern family life.”
Purchasing the house in 2014, Anna, Richard and George lived in it for about a year before starting any work to update it, during which time they also sold a flat in London. The wait turned out to be a blessing, as several of their plans changed over this period.
The house needed replumbing and rewiring, as well as a new roof. “We had hoped to patch the roof up
ABOVE LEFT Separate from the house, the barn is a self-contained entertaining space complete with kitchenette and bathroom. The cabinetry in here was made from routed MDF and painted in a soft green called Treron from Farrow & Ball, which blends with the original cobbled floor. LEFT Two olive trees in Vence planters from Garden Trading frame the entrance to the barn. Having flexible spaces and outbuildings allows Anna and Richard to let their home as a location for film and photo shoots through thelocationguys. co.uk. Anna can be contacted at annapullandesign. com ABOVE RIGHT In the new kitchen, Anna chose a bespoke mirror by Antiqued Mirror as a splashback for the reconditioned Aga from Avec Cookers. Cabin Wood flooring from Reclaimed Floor Company runs throughout the kitchen and the rest of the ground floor.
ABOVE An ancient wisteria covers the picture-perfect facade of the charming eighteenthcentury farmhouse. The roof had to be removed and was refitted with Stonesfield tiles. LEFT The fireplace was moved to the sitting room from what is now the kitchen, with the Aga taking its place. The wood-burning stove came from Walkers in Burford.
but every builder we approached told us it was way beyond that point. They all advised us to move out and have the work done in one big hit, so that’s what we did,” says Anna.
Renovations took a total of 10 months, including having the roof completely removed and refitted. Inside, the entire ground floor was dug up and re-laid to bring three different floor levels to the same height and achieve an open-plan flow. The original flooring was rotten, so Anna chose warm chestnut-coloured eco engineered wooden boards from the Reclaimed
Flooring Company for a streamlined feel throughout the ground floor. What was once a poky kitchen has become a practical boot room, and a smart new kitchen now occupies the former dining room.
“We were very lucky with our conservation officer. We got consent to knock down walls and were able to move a fire surround from the old dining room into the sitting room. This allowed us to retain a beautiful feature and create a kitchen that works for us, complete with an Aga,” explains Anna.
A formerly dusty attic now houses two bedrooms and a bathroom. “We had wanted to lift the beam
ABOVE In the cosy sitting room, the Lazytime sofa from Camerich offers plenty of space for family relaxation time.
ABOVE A mid-century rosewood cabinet, topped with Silestone, brings a retro feel to the main bathroom. The Bacco wall sconces from Julian Chichester are an intepretation of a mid-century Italian pharmacy lamp.
OPPOSITE PAGE, TOP The tranquil principal bedroom is painted in Skimming Stone by Farrow & Ball. Pressed flowers on paper, found at Station Mill Antiques, hang from vintage bobbins in simple acrylic Muji frames. A Mark Alexander fabric has been used to upholster the sleigh bed from Sofas & Stuff. LEFT Recycled floorboards painted in French Grey Pale by Little Greene cover a wall in this shower room. The ornately patterned tiles are from Cotswold Stone & Wood Tiles whilst the metal window mirror is from Maisons du Monde.
between the attic bedrooms, but that was a step too far for the planning office,” Anna says.
When it came to decorating the rooms, Anna opted for a gentle approach, letting the house, with its quirky original features, guide her. “I’ve taken inspiration from the natural tones and textures of the Cotswold stone building to create a sympathetic, muted palette, combining time-worn, natural materials with a mix of vintage furniture and rustic treasures,” she explains. The low, beamed ceilings are painted in soft, pale shades throughout to enhance the sense of space and light. Neutral, pared-back schemes allow the subtle textures to shine. Anna has added some practical, contemporary pieces to contrast with the weathered wood and antiques, creating a relaxed feel.
She describes herself as a ‘self-confessed eBay queen’ and is a regular at antiques shops and fairs. “One of my favourite local haunts is Station Mill Antiques, where I buy beautiful, one-off vintage treasures. It has a fast turnaround, so I am in there every couple of weeks, sourcing pieces for myself and clients,” she says.
When Anna first decided to buy a house in the country, she had planned to fill it with mid-century furniture. She soon decided that sticking rigidly to such a sleek, modern style did not suit the rustic farmhouse. One of the nods to her original plan is a sleek mid-century cabinet in the bathroom which has been topped with Silestone and twin basins to create a smart vanity unit.
The house came with a couple of outbuildings and a main barn. The latter became a lockdown project for the couple, who lifted then carefully reinstated the original cobbled floor in order to lay damp-proofing and make the barn usable. The floor is now a standout feature in this characterful, self-contained living and dining space, which also has its own kitchenette and bathroom. “This is where we congregate as a family for film nights and is fondly known as the ‘movie barn’. It is a very relaxed space,” says Anna.
Richard does not always agree on Anna’s choice of vintage pieces. “I do love worn-out, old types of artwork, but Richard hates them,” she laughs. “I come home with all sorts of obscure pictures with holes in them and they just seem to work in this house. I didn’t want to be too precious about the interiors and prefer a home to feel like a home, rather than a shrine to form over function. I think it’s important not to stick doggedly to any particular theme and let the style and character of the property guide you.” n
ABOVE Antique shutters from The French House have been added to fitted wardrobes in the main bedroom for a rustic look. LEFT Anna has made the most of the space in the eaves, creating two attic bedrooms and a bathroom. The benches in this twin bedroom are from Cox & Cox and the chest of drawers is from Station Mill Antiques.
