The old-fashioned charm of this Flemish house is, in fact, a beautiful piece of artifice. Its rustic terracotta roof and ancient beams suggest it was built several hundred years ago, but the structure actually dates from 1946. The building was completely refurbished, including new windows, roof tiles and flooring, quite recently. ‘We wanted to enlarge the living spaces and bring in lots more light,’ say the owners of the three large rooms, including this drawing room, that now make up the ground floor.
Living room coffee table and sofas
Internal walls were knocked down and numerous windows put in to make the interiors feel open and light, while a subtle colour scheme enables the owners to use an eclectic range of decorative styles to dress the home. The drawing room, for example, is a study in tone-on-tone shades of grey: the colour appears on walls, limed wood furniture, floors and soft furnishings, and the effect is extraordinarily restful. The occasional flash of Chinese red, aquamarine or yellow ochre is carefully meted out to retain the overall balance.
Similar cushions
John Lewis
Living room fireplace
The main aesthetic change internally was to introduce lots of wood. 'We removed a good deal of stone and replaced it with reclaimed oak,' say the owners. 'This was used to create natural-looking beams, a new staircase and panelling. We even made cupboards in our dressing room using old shutters rescued from a French château. I researched and found every piece of wood myself, which was a painstaking task.'
Similar reclaimed wood flooring
Reclaimed Flooring Company
Kitchen-diner
Knocking together three rooms created this large space, to which oak beams were added for rustic effect.
Similar beams
Lassco
Dining area with garden view
The extra-wide kitchen table is large enough to cater for full family meals, as well as the informal supper parties that the owners like to give. 'We wanted every window to frame a picture,' say the owners of the spectacular view out over the old orchard.
Similar bespoke windows
Scotts of Thrapston
Formal dining room and hall
The capacious hall, which doubles as a formal dining room, is typical of the eclectic decoration throughout the house. 'There's a real mix of cultures and eras in our house, from oriental and traditional English furniture, to French pieces in the style of Louis XV,' say the owners. 'But it's a very relaxed way of living and it brings antique charm together with modern functionality.'
Similar dining chairs
Flamant
Dining room sideboard
In the same way that the owners give some of the rooms a dual purpose, so do some of the pieces of furniture: in the hall-dining room, this distinctively coloured chest of drawers, for example, serves as a sideboard.
Similar antique candlesticks
Wax Antiques
Similar tobacco jar
Mytton Antiques
Staircase
The new staircase was made from reclaimed grey oak. The space seemed quite dark, so the owners added a round window to the plans, its frame rescued from a house demolition. Favourite prints are displayed on the walls.
Similar reclaimed timber flooring
Drummonds Flooring
Main bedroom
The owners designed their bedroom with simplicity in mind, choosing plain bedlinen and walls. Touches of textured wood and a combination of loose-covered and neatly tailored pieces of furniture create a sense of old-fashioned country style.
Similar white bedlinen
Feather & Black
Main bathroom
As elsewhere, distinctive texture and subtle colouring distinguish the main bathroom, where a mixture of travertine and tadelakt, a Moroccan plaster technique, combine to create a serene yet luxurious effect.
Similar tadelakt plaster finish
Tadelakt London
Similar travertine
Mandarin Stone
Children’s room
In the younger children's bedroom, matching Alpine beds sit conveniently beneath the eaves, leaving plenty of floor space to play.
Similar bed
The Children's Furniture Company
Children’s bathroom
White mosaic pebbles are a pleasing contrast to the warm tones of the wood cabinetry in the children's bathroom.
Similar pebble mosaic tiles
Marblemosaics
Similar basin
C P Hart
Garden terrace
The owners' collection of old bird cages are displayed on the wall of the former fruit store.
Pair of hanging bird cages
Cox & Cox
Barn guest accommodation
Another important phase of the owners' work was to convert an old barn in the garden into luxurious guest accommodation. The finished building now sleeps five, has its own kitchen and bathroom, and a 29-foot high living space that is dominated by a huge distressed leather Chesterfield.
Vintage Edinburgh leather sofa
Flamant
Guest bedroom
A traditional French style reigns in the guest bedroom, courtesy of a gentle grey-and-ochre colour scheme and a nostalgic toile. The glazed peephole window overlooks the vast living space below.
Similar toile bedspread
Pottery Barn
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