Posted on March 04, 2022
With a historic structure, set in gorgeous surroundings, transforming a Grade II listed Cotswold cottage and barn into your dream home sounds like a home and interiors lover’s dream project!
We’ve been following Our Cotswold House on Instagram for a while now, engrossed in Brook and Paul’s beautiful historic home renovations. As we’ve come to learn, completely transforming your home is a unique experience full of twists and turns, so we caught up with Brooke to hear more about her Cotswold home transformation journey and also discuss all things interiors.
For anyone that may be unfamiliar, tell us a little bit about you and your home transformation journey so far.
We actually never intended to have such a large project! We had been searching for something with ‘potential’ for a while and mainly looking at houses we could extend, but couldn’t find anything in the right area within budget. We’d been refreshing Rightmove multiple times a day and then this house popped up one day and as soon as we saw it on the photos we knew it was the one.
We rather naively thought it would take 6 months or so but replacing the roof and repointing took that alone. The roof was also a lot more expensive than we’d expected (as is everything with building work we’ve found…).
The interior of the property was really just a shell - the larth and plaster all needed repairing, brand new electrics, heating, staircase, floor joists and too much more to list.
One of the big selling points when we bought the house was the stone barn attached which was used by the previous owners as a garage. We were granted permission last year to convert it into an open plan kitchen living area and knock through an old doorway to open into the house. We completed the building work on that recently so are going to enjoy a year or so of being builder free before we plan anything else!
What are the main things to consider when starting a renovation project?
For us it was to be as sympathetic to the house as you can. I always see images on Pinterest and Instagram of rooms with square, straight walls and want to replicate those look in our house, but in reality it looks out of place when everything is wonky.
What have been the challenges with transforming a Grade II listed home?
Patience! Covid has made gaining permission even more painfully slow than ever and it’s even more frustrating if you’re just waiting for someone to say yes to work that you know is sympathetic to the house. Getting permission to simply replace the broken roof with a like for like replacement for example took months - even though it was obvious that was what the conservation officers would have asked for anyway.
From your renovation journey so far, which area are you most proud of? Tell us about the planning that went into it, the design, styling and how long it took.
That would have to be the only truly finished room in the house - the family bathroom! It was the first room we introduced some bolder colour into. It was also my first attempt at wallpapering which I’m pretty happy with considering all the walls are so uneven - even if it did take about 4 months to complete as I did half of the room in a weekend and then lost momentum! The little details like the Jim Lawrence wall lights and Matilda Goad scalloped shades make me happy every time I use it.
Can you share a few favourite independent interiors brands?
@Fenellainteriordesign for lampshades
@Katy.takla and @Village_London for cushions
For home accessories:
@Glassette
@Matildagoad
@By_Alice_home
@Tielleloveluxury for bedding
@Projektityyny for quilts
How would you describe your personal interiors style?
It’s adapting over time - I’m definitely being drawn to more maximalist styles now and trying to integrate a mix of new and antique pieces into our home.
Which interiors do you admire?
Rita Konig @ritakonig
Interior designers Salvesen Graham @salvesengraham
Mollie Moore Home @molliemoorehome
Megan from Kit & Co @kitandco_
Interior design studio @faegerandco
Louise Roe's London townhouse home account @louiseroehome
Did you do any DIY or doer-upper crafts as part of the process? If so, tell us what you’re most proud of creating!
Some of the most satisfying work done on the house was actually just stripping things back to how they originally were. The stone mullion windows are one of my favourite features now, but when we bought the house they were covered in about 5 layers of paint and a tar-like substance. Lots of paint stripping and sanding was involved to get it all off but it’s worth it looking at them and into the village green every day.
What do you think makes a house a home?
Sometimes I do feel a pang of jealousy when I go to friends’ homes in new builds where they have walls covered in art prints and rooms fully furnished. But with an old property, buying everything new just doesn’t look right, so we’re making an effort to buy things we truly love - art, accessories and furniture - and this is a frustratingly slow process because sourcing just the right pieces can take weeks if not months when you’re doing it around work and two little ones!
What’s your favourite part of a renovations project?
I love a bargain so I spend far too much time scrolling eBay and Facebook marketplace. So it’s probably knowing that amongst some of the more modern pieces there’s a few bits around the house that were saved from the scrap heap and are now well loved. The roll top bath in our family bathroom for example was only £30 off FB marketplace, so it’s definitely worth hunting them down if you have the patience!
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learnt throughout your home transformation journey?
That tastes change so quickly! When we installed the bathrooms I was obsessed with marble tiles, but if I was doing them again now I’d love something with more texture. I’ve definitely been gravitating to more maximalist interiors recently.
Any advice for anyone looking to take on a renovation project?
I think naivety is a good thing. If we knew just how much the work would have cost at the beginning there’s no way we’d have taken it on. But you make it work as you go - we remortgaged half way through to help fund more of the build and we borrowed on 0% credit cards for short term cash that we paid off later. It’s not ideal but if you’re careful with spending it can pay off in the long run.
What’s currently in progress or next up on your home interiors plan?
We’re currently mid way through the work on the garden and have new bedding plants and trees arriving over the next month. The terrace outside our new kitchen is also being laid so we can have a space for dining and working outside when the weather improves.
Inside, most of the rooms are done on the surface but filled with inherited or temporary furniture, so we still have lots to do to make the house feel truly homely and ours. But that’s going to be a lifelong challenge I’m willing to accept.
All photos are from @ourcotswoldhouse on Instagram