LUCKY DIP
How a stroke of good fortune gave one couple the chance to make an elegant Essex villa their own
After twice missing out on the home of their dreams, Lottie and Simon Waugh eventually had the good fortune to secure the sale and make it their own
It was a case of third time lucky when Lottie and Simon Waugh found their dream home in Essex. ‘We were living in an old, higgledy piggledy cottage,’ says Lottie, ‘ but we desperately needed more space. When this house came onto the market we fell in love with it – the ceilings were high and the layout felt fluid. It needed lots of work but there was plenty of potential, plus it was near my parents and sister.’
The couple quickly put in an offer on the property, but were outbid. ‘ When the first sale fell through, we were still keen to buy but we lost the house a second time,’ recalls Lottie. ‘ We were so disappointed. Finally, though, the owner called us directly. He told us he was being mucked around by the buyers and asked if we’d like to proceed with the purchase. We were delighted!’ Once they had moved in, Lottie and Simon began the first phase of the renovations.
The house had been extended by previous owners but was in need of a complete internal facelift. ‘ We started with our en-suite bathroom,’ says Lottie. ‘All the taps had seized up because no one had lived in the house for a long time, and I was desperate to install a separate shower – in our old cottage we’d had a shower over the bath to save space.’ They also ripped out the dated flooring – there was black-andwhite chequered vinyl in the hall and salmon pink carpet everywhere else – and put in wooden boards downstairs, and sleek limestone flooring in the kitchen.
‘The next step was to get the kitchen done,’ says Lottie. ‘The existing space was a narrow, galley shape, far too small for the
favourite feature‘ The kitchen–it’ s where we spend most of our time. It took a while to get the design right, but it was worth it as we love being in here’
size of the house, and I was keen to create a large kitchen and open-plan living area where we could hang out with our son, Charlie, now 7.’ But their ideas for the new room soon hit a snag. ‘Halfway through the building work, we discovered a fireplace in the area we’d earmarked as the utility room, and realised it would have been perfect for a log burner in the open-plan family area – but it was too late to change our plans.’ Two years ago, however, the couple finally completed their vision by repositioning the utility room in the hall and installing their longed-for log burner.
Lottie’s contemporary-meets-classic approach to decorating is evident throughout this elegant, light-filled home. Downstairs, an impressive entrance hall leads to the kitchen-diner and through to a striking sitting room and dining room, which the couple use mainly for entertaining. Upstairs, the bedrooms have a modern, luxurious feel, and the same design philosophy extends to the conservatory and pool. ‘That part of the house was full of dark wood,’ says Lottie. ‘It was really oppressive and felt like a ship’s cabin. We decided to paint it white and put down porcelain floor tiles.’ The space doubles as a playroom for Charlie, and leads out to the pool area, which has been completely refurbished to create a cool, calm and streamlined feel.
‘Throughout the whole house, we wanted to create something gorgeous, that could also function as a comfortable family home,’ says Lottie. ‘That was our goal, and I’m so happy with the result. I’ve learnt that there’s no need to rush to make decisions – we’ve taken our time and I think it’s paid off.’
design inspiration‘ We’ ve stayed in some great hotels and I’ve got fantastic ideas from them. If I love the way a room feels, I’ll ask for details of the colours used, or where they sourced the furniture’