This elegant Edwardian home in rural Shropshire boasts a comfortable and serene interior, enriched with French vintage charm, curated art and a cutting garden that is a riotous cornucopia of colour. But it wasn't always this way.
‘The whole house needed rewiring and gas heating installed,’ explains owner Jane Davies, ‘so we had to move out for a couple of weeks for all the floorboards to be taken up. It was a complete mess and very stressful with three young children!’
But she had been bowled over by the property’s wealth of period features, and knew the temporary disturbance of the renovation would be worth it.
‘We loved the original stained-glass windows at the front and the front door, and the original staircase in the hallway as you enter the house,’ she says. A large garden, full of potential, also appealed and fed Jane’s love of growing flowers. It sealed the deal.
Exterior
The family moved into the house in 2002. Once the essential works were complete, Jane and husband Martin took a slow but meticulous approach to updating each room, using their time and funds carefully.
‘We had to strip the wallpaper in the whole house as it all needed replastering, which we did as and when we had time,’ Jane says, adding that this also, inadvertently, allowed them to get a sense of the natural flow in the house, so any further modifications would have maximum impact.
Hallway
One of the most striking improvements is in the hallway flooring, where the couple discovered the original pine parquet and tiled floor while ripping out the old bright red carpet.
‘The parquet had been stained black so we stripped it back and I painstakingly cleaned the tiles, which took forever as they had layers of black carpet glue that was so stubborn to remove. It took weeks of time and patience,’ Jane says.
Replacement tiles were sourced at local salvage yards to fill the gaps, and the floor was restored to its original glorious form.
Sitting room
The sitting room benefits from being two rooms opened into one, so is filled with light and space and leads seamlessly into the conservatory. Jane says it is a great room for entertaining, and she has decorated it with a mix of comfortable furniture and intricate decorative antiques.
A pale colour scheme dominates with an eye-catching gallery wall of favourite artwork and framed prints adding colour and definition above an antique set of apothecary drawers used to display a curated collection of delicate ceramics.
Conservatory
A conservatory was added to enhance the existing cramped kitchen. ‘It was difficult to fit five people around the table, so we knocked through an external kitchen window and built the conservatory onto the kitchen,' Jane says.
'The conservatory also linked to the lounge, which created a marvellous sense of space and natural light in the house. It has been great for parties too over the years!’
The conservatory provides the perfect place to dine, with views and direct access to the garden. A factory-style pendant light and classic Thonet French bistro chairs add a dash of utility chic.
Kitchen
The couple opened up the kitchen to create a sense of cohesion. Simple in style, the room has a large stainless steel range cooker, complemented with a roughly hewn wood butchers block on top of a vintage cupboard, open shelving filled with pretty bistro style ceramics and glass ware and a smattering of vintage brocante finds.
Handmade Zellige tiles add a soft splash of colour. The irregularities in their surface form and colour creates a relaxed, artisan feel, further enhanced by the vintage wooden tailor’s stool and antique ceramic pieces.
Flowers picked from the garden are cut and displayed in vintage pots.
Snug
The snug leads off the kitchen, and apair of armchairs and a wood-burner make it a cosy spot to relax. Vintage pieces and dried flower heads provide rustic charm alongside a large ceramic pot that Jane purchased from the artist’s studio while on holiday in Deia, Mallorca.
Main bedroom
The main bedroom is calm and serene, with rich yellow adding a burst of energy to the all-white scheme and complementing the warm woody tones in the bedside tables. The painting was purchased by Jane while on holiday in Italy.
Second bedroom
An antique French-style bed adds elegance to this child's bedroom, alongside some original artwork.
Bathroom
A luxurious freestanding bathtub makes a strong design statement. Louvred shutters, old French signage, wall cabinet and apothecary jars add vintage style.
Vintage decor
The house is a haven for Jane’s love of all things vintage and antique, with a seriously strong French influence, borne out of years of happy holidays spent in France, often with an extra, empty suitcase ready to pack with newfound treasures.
These pieces are displayed against a backdrop of white and pale neutrals. ‘Initially, I went wild with colour – a dark green hallway, mustard bathroom and terracotta kitchen,' Jane says. 'But as time has passed, I’ve created a more neutral palette and added colour through my love of art and antiques instead.'
Garden
The garden outside is a riot of colour, and bunches of homegrown cosmos, cornflowers, Nigella, larkspur, sweet peas, roses and dahlias are cut and brought insides to be displayed in vintage confit jars, elegant Astier de Villate vases and rusty zinc pots.
‘My parents loved antique fairs and auctions, so it was in my blood from the get-go,’ Jane says. ‘I just enjoy collecting and displaying and mixing old and new art, ceramics and furniture. It is all about creating a comfortable home that can be lived in but enjoyed aesthetically at the same time.’
