Our ‘Open House’ series offers a look at what like is like in some of the homes we sell with a trip to meet current owners. Here, Anna, who runs AU Bespoke, an interior sourcing and styling studio, and her husband, Willie, tell us how they turned a 22-bedroom monastic retreat into an elegantly converted Georgian country house for their family. Check out the listing for their home here.
Anna: “When we first moved in, we used to find people wandering around the chapel upstairs while we were having our dinner – they didnt realise it wasnt a retreat anymore!
“The house, which is late Georgian, was being used by a religious order as a silent retreat before we bought it. There were 22, cell-like bedrooms and industrial kitchens, so it took a bit of imagination to see what it could become.
“We were in Primrose Hill before and had spent time living in Ibiza too. That was ten years ago when our three girls were a lot younger and we just wanted to get out of London.
“But we still wanted to be able to go into London easily to do work, plus we didn’t want to be too far away from the family we have there so this village, which is 45 minutes away from King’s Cross on the train, ticked those boxes.
“But, more
than the location, we just fell in love with the house. We put in a search
stretching from north London to Norfolk, as we have a holiday home on the beach
there, and came across this. We were totally blown away by it.
“Then we came to view it and fell in love even more. But our house hadn’t sold, and there was already an offer on this. We felt sort of hopeless, but I didn’t give up, writing letters every month to the religious order saying how we would look after it and turn it into a family home.
“Then, our
house in London sold and we were in a position to buy something. We got a call
from the agent one day saying the sale had fallen through and that it was all
ours if we wanted it. It was a happy day.
“I think we
fell in love with the space mostly – it amazed us, and we could see that it had
so much potential. In London we were renting our house out for shoots, so I
could see an opportunity for making it a location space but, more than that, we
could see how it could become a wonderful family home.
“It had
such a lovely, calming feel from the minute we walked in that made us feel at
home straight away – we even knew where our Christmas tree would be.”
Willie:
“With the work, we took it from having over 20 bedrooms to a seven-bedroom
family home, adding 1,000 sq ft with an extension.
“It was pretty much a hostel when we got it, so there was a fair amount of structural work to do. We knocked down walls, changed all the windows and just made it more domestic and homely.
“Then we installed reclaimed and vintage finds, such as the parquet flooring, which came from the old MI5 building on The Strand, and the 400-year-old French stone fireplaces – it was an agonising experience to see them go in!”
Anna:
“I loved working on the interiors to this house, and have turned one part of
the space into a home showroom for my studio, AU Bespoke. I started out as an
interior stylist, sourcing pieces and creating different looks for magazines.
“I was seeing trends come and go, which made want to stick with really good quality materials and timeless forms that hold up over the years. You don’t want to regret putting in 18th-century fireplaces – you have to trust they will be right well into the future.
“It felt natural to take that magpie approach to sourcing pieces from all over into a retail context, where I could curate the stock in a more considered way. I had a shop in Primrose Hill before but closed it when we moved up here.
“Opening a showroom
at home has created a special experience for those that come to see it, as I
think there’s something unique about seeing pieces in a home environment. Plus,
it’s nice to know that you don’t have to be in London to do well in retail anymore;
most of my sales are online, but it’s nice to have a physical space too.
“Why the move then?! Well, we used to live in Ibiza, and Willie has some work out there, plus Im selling lots of vintage furniture to clients there. So, we would like a house to spend more time there. Well probably downsize a little and have the opportunity for both lives here and there.
Willie: “Moving out of London to the countryside was even better than we hoped it would be. To give our children space to roam about in the fresh air has been wonderful.
Anna: “I think the amount of space has been this houses biggest gift, and what were most appreciative of. The light is gorgeous too, which everyone comments on when they come here. Its a really calming space, even with three little girls and their friends running around. Weve been really happy here.”
- 转载自：The Modern House
- 语言：English
- 阅读原文
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发表于 2020-8-4 00:54:46
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