An elegantly renovated 17th-century farmhouse in Dorset, designed by Sims Hilditch
Undaunted by the challenges of transforming a 17th-century farmhouse, its new owners have been rewarded with an elegant family home in modern English country house style
One of the homeowner’s great passions in life is renovating properties and he has done up a number of houses over the years, including ones that he and his family have lived in.
None of them, however, has been as old as this one, a romantically situated 17th-century farmhouse in the Dorset countryside. The owner discovered the house by chance while browsing a property website and, as he had promised his wife that their existing home would be the last house he would renovate, he went to see it on his own first.
- See some of the world's best homes – beautiful properties from around the globe
The property
‘I went to view this house in the height of summer and the house, which has extensive grounds, looked beautiful,’ says the owner.
The house had not been touched for years so, not surprisingly, they needed to repair the roof, rewire and put in new plumbing, but in doing so they found they also needed to rebuild chimneys, replace the iron guttering and the down pipes, and put in new windows and doors.
The couple installed a two-storey oak frame extension at the back, so that they could enlarge the kitchen and have a boot room leading off it, with a guest bedroom on the floor above. ‘I love oak frames and since putting in the extension, I have used the same kind of construction to convert the garage, to turn the pigsty into a gymnasium and to build an outdoor kitchen,’ says the owner.
‘I wanted to emulate the eclectic style of designer Kit Kemp, and the colors for the sitting room and our bedroom were inspired by the rooms in our favourite Crosby Street Hotel in New York,’ says the owner.
Exterior
This delightful farmhouse has undergone many changes in the course of its history, and the new owners have spent many months restoring it to give it a new lease of life.
Sign up to the Homes & Gardens newsletter
Design expertise in your inbox – from inspiring decorating ideas and beautiful celebrity homes to practical gardening advice and shopping round-ups.
See: A charming early-Victorian coach house in Dorset
Entrance hall/ library
This space, which doubles as an informal sitting room, is decorated with traditional country and industrial-style pieces, and sets the tone for the rest of the home.
Dining room
A favourite painting inspired the choice of the rich cobalt blue, which brings a colorful not to this north-facing room. ‘The family bought several artworks with them, so finding the right spot for each was so important,’ says interior designer, Emma Sims Hilditch.
Staircase
The owners decided to remove the original, dark-wood staircase as it made the hall feel rather gloomy. In its place stands a new design, albeit with the original handrail. The full-length mirror on the half landing draws natural light down from the windows above.
Home office
‘This is my favourite room,’ says the owner of this restful space. ‘It’s used for the day-to-day running of the property, but I also like to escape in here sometimes.’
Kitchen
This newly extended space, with its rustic wood inset ceiling, meets the needs of the young family as well as being a relaxed area for entertaining. ‘Guests can sit at each island, with the person cooking in between and everything within easy reach,’ says the owner.
Boot room
The brick floor of what was once a tack room has been renewed and Emma chose cabinets from Neptune to house the boots and shoes, leaving space behind them for a shower for the dogs. ‘Everyone insisted on installing it for our two golden retrievers, but I said we’d never use it,’ says the owner, ‘and we don’t. Well, not for the dogs; I use it when I come in from kite surfing.’
Living room
The off-centre fireplace is original and remains a striking focal point in this formal room. The owner’s collection of old framed maps adds character throughout the home. ‘When my wife and I were first dating,’ says the owner, ‘I bought her a map of the Bronx, which is where she lived before she moved to Britain.’
Main bedroom
The couple brought a few items of furniture with them to their new home, preferring to start from scratch with pieces in keeping with the age of the farmhouse and the size of its rooms. ‘In the bedroom, the bold colors and eclectic mix of furniture were inspired by the couple’s favourite Kit Kemp hotels,’ says Emma, ‘and instead of a pattern, we used linen wallpaper to give the room an extra textural touch.’
Bathroom
The walk-in shower area, a new addition to the couple’s bathroom, brung a lustrous sheen and luxurious feel to this elegant space.
Landing
A new flight of steps links the extension with the original house. Unable to find a handrail similar to the original one, the owner called in a set painter from the Downton Abbey television series to paint the new rail to match it instead.
Twins' bedroom
The original plan was for the girls to have separate rooms, but they insisted on sharing. They decorated the chandelier with fluffy pompoms, butterflies and chicken-shaped bells to help stop their father from constantly banging his head on it.
Twins' bathroom
To create a classic country farmhouse feel, half-height tongue-and-groove cladding was chosen for this compact space.
Photography/ Paul Raeside
Jennifer is the Digital Editor at Homes & Gardens. Having worked in the interiors industry for a number of years, spanning many publications, she now hones her digital prowess on the 'best interiors website' in the world. Multi-skilled, Jennifer has worked in PR and marketing, and the occasional dabble in the social media, commercial and e-commerce space. Over the years, she has written about every area of the home, from compiling design houses from some of the best interior designers in the world to sourcing celebrity homes, reviewing appliances and even the odd news story or two.
-
Beware of hummingbird houses – why you should avoid this product, and what to buy to help these beautiful creatures instead
Hummingbird houses are sold at all major online retailers, but they don't actually help hummingbirds. This is all you need to know about a mislabelled product
By Alex David Published
-
Are these 11 common heating system mistakes making your energy bills expensive? This is the secret formula to success
Don’t let your heating system burn through your budget – fix these common heating system mistakes to lower your energy bills
By Gabriella Dyson Published