Liz Hurley and Shane Warne plan another dramatic makeover; but, hold the bronzer, this time it's their house that's getting a glossy new look
Elizabeth Hurley is a woman who loves transforming slightly scruffy icons into gleaming new models so we look forward to seeing what magic she works on Donnington Hall, the stately pile she bought last year with fiancé Shane Warne
As the newly bronzed, coiffed and slim-line Shane Warne knows only too well, Liz Hurley is a master of the dramatic transformation.
But as Australian cricketing legend Shane entertains himself by posting pouting 'selfie' photos on Instagram, it seems the actress, model and swimwear designer is in need of a new design project. Step forward Donnington Hall.
Earlier this year Liz and Shane clubbed together
to buy the stately pad, a £6 million, 187-acre Georgian estate near Ledbury on
the Herefordshire/Gloucestershire border.
However, not content with the four
reception rooms, 13 bedrooms, five bathrooms,
a cellar, four cottages,
12 stables, a coach house, a lake and a tennis court (strewth!), Liz and
Shane have decided to submit the building to a thorough overhaul.
******
They
have submitted drawings to Herefordshire council illustrating the
changes they want to make to the building, including demolishing an old
conservatory and adding a new garden room.
But the actress and model, best known for wearing that
Versace safety-pin dress back in the 1990s, doesn't hold back in her
planning application, noting ‘the damage done over the last century with
inappropriate design choices’. Er, no comment.
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Another proposed change (which we secretly hope goes through) is to turn the staircase into a Hollywood-style feature; we can just imagine Queen Liz sweeping down in a flowing gown to greet Shane regally at the front door.
However, as all of you Grand Designs fans will know, a home renovation project can often spiral a bit out of control, absorbing both time and money. And it seems that planning the perfect rural idyll has pushed back the golden couple's wedding plans, as they are still to fix a date for their nuptials.
Avid Twitter fan Liz certainly seems to have taken a shine to rural
life, though, tweeting to her 400,000 followers, ‘gardening obsession has
begun; redesigning one of my borders. Dug nearly all of it up yesterday
and starting again.’ So could it be goodbye to the Austin Powers Fembot, and hello to Barbara from The Good Life? Surely not.
With a house this grand they are sure to have plenty of visitors and, who knows, once the transformation is complete, perhaps the glitzy duo will invite the locals in for a cup of tea and a nose around.
One villager, who does not want to be named, says: ‘We don't see a lot of Liz and Shane, but maybe once the place is up to scratch they will be spending more time here.’ Go on Liz, invite them in.
Love this? Read about Liz Hurley's former Fulham home, or see our exclusive interview with Liz. For more homes news and trends, why not follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Or for practical property tips and advice take a look at Phil Spencer's guide to adding value to your home.
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