WARWICKSHIRE VILLAGE HOUSE
GABRIELLE AND JANUS COOPER’S HOUSE HAS A FASCINATING HISTORY AND AN ELEGANT INTERIOR THAT’S IN KEEPING WITH ITS AGE
Exposed beams, low ceilings and open fires keep this former coaching inn inviting
What makes this house a home…
‘The times we have enjoying entertaining friends and the memories of the children growing up here’
Sometimesa house comes along and, despite the fact that it needs an enormous amount of work doing to it, buying it is just too good an opportunity to miss. This was certainly how Gabrielle and Janus Cooper felt when they saw their country home for the first time.
Beforehand, they had been living in London with their son, James, who was then a baby, but they knew they wanted to move from the city and bring up their children in a village. They also needed a property with more space. Janus had grown up in Warwickshire, but it was a coincidence that the family ended up moving there; they did so more because they had friends in the area and were attracted by its good schools.
A friend, Marcus Galliford, who renovates properties, found what looked like the perfect house for them in the conservation area of an idyllic village. The house was a picturesque Tudor property with a timbered frame, limewashed facade and fascinating history; originally a coaching inn, it was where the Gunpowder Plot conspirators met on the fifth of November 1605 to await news of the attempt by Guy Fawkes to blow up the Houses of Parliament.
‘We loved the exterior of the house, but the interior was a wreck,’ says Gabrielle. ‘It had no central heating and there was a single light bulb in each room. It was quite
dark and dated, and there was just one bathroom.’ However, Gabrielle and Janus knew that they could entrust the work to Marcus, so they went ahead with the sale but stayed in London for the eight months it took to complete renovations.
As it is such a historic house, the local conservation officer had to be consulted. A damp-proof course was put in and the house had to be rewired and have central heating installed. It also had to be re-plastered with lime plaster. In addition, many of the handmade roof tiles needed to be replaced and they had to be approved.
Gabrielle and Janus used a local architect to submit plans to the conservation officer, which involved changing the layout of the first floor to create two en-suite bathrooms. Also, outbuildings that were originally stables were converted into a gym and snooker room, and guest accommodation with a bedroom, living room, shower room and kitchen.
New windows were installed in the outbuildings that were in keeping with the style of the house.
When it came to the interior, Gabrielle and Janus were keen to have a white backdrop that would maximise the light and offset the small windows and low, beamed ceilings. Most of the beams were left as they were, but those in the kitchen were painted white to help create an airy feel. New oak cabinets in a Shaker design and antique wooden
be enlarged and converted into a bathroom. The whole property then had to be replastered. Gemma was pregnant with Pippa when the two houses were knocked through and all the rewiring and replumbing was finished.
When it came to the decor, Gemma knew exactly what kind of look she wanted. ‘I love interiors and I’ve always liked the Corinthia Hotel in London – it’s classic and elegant – so I was after a similar look. I love Farrow & Ball paint colours and wanted the house to have a neutral backdrop so that colour could be brought in with accessories.’
Mellow wooden furniture, accents of rich colour and tactile fabrics give a welcoming feel. ‘It’s a cosy house, especially in winter when the logburner is on,’ says
Gemma. ‘I don’t like clutter, as I want things to stand out. I also love our Shaker kitchen, as it doesn’t date. Because it’s handpainted, we just repaint it and it looks amazing again. The cottages aren’t that big so we have utilised the space cleverly, I think. It flows really well downstairs.’
While doing up the house, Gemma started her interior events styling business and, three years ago, her online business Mazzaro Home. Her own house has been a wonderful home to bring up the family. ‘I love living here and the garden is perfect for the children. I get excited when I turn the key in the door, and can imagine being here for a very long time.’