BERKSHIRE VILLAGE HOUSE

Dark hues and brass detailing play homage to this property’s history, while a new extension gives it a modern edge

What makes this house a homeé ‘We’ve designed the spaces to ensure that each of the children has everything they need’»

Looking

to move out of London, Anna and Joel Loader fell in love with a village in Berkshire, near where Anna grew up. ‘We came out of the station and there was the feel of autumn – the smell of woodsmoke and mist over the canal,’ says Anna. ‘The setting sold the village to us. We knew it would be a lovely place to live.’

Anna and Joel then began looking for a house and one soon came up that seemed promising, but it sold straight away before they even had the chance to view it. However, the deal fell through and the estate agent got in touch with them when the house went back on the market, so the couple went to see it. ‘It was a lovely house, so we put in an offer immediately,’ says Joel.

It was the period features that particularly attracted the couple. ‘The Victorian frontage was attractive, but there was also a Georgian property behind, so it had the best of both periods. Plus, it was light and spacious and it reminded me of my childhood home,’ says Joel. Although quite a bit of work needed doing to the property, the couple had a vision of what it could become. ‘We did a lot of remedial work at first,’ says Anna. ‘In fact, we started renovating as soon as we moved in.’

The couple carried out the work slowly over three years, replacing floors, installing underfloor heating and adding a new boiler. Walls were then re-rendered and replastered, ceilings were repaired and part of the roof

replaced. Once that work was completed, Anna and Joel gradually started to decorate the house. But, in 2016, they realised that they were in an extend-or-move situation. ‘The house had three bedrooms and after our son Willem was born in 2012, we had used them all up,’ says Anna. ‘Properties don’t come up for sale in the village very often, so we decided to extend.’

The couple visited architect and structural engineers Orange Key Design Studios to discuss their options.

‘We came back with designs that were beyond what we expected for the house and what it could be,’ says Joel. The design studio’s plan involved a contemporary side extension that created two more bedrooms and two extra bathrooms, plus a glass kitchen-diner extension that opened on to a Mediterranean-style courtyard.

The challenge was getting the balance between bringing in more space and light, while retaining the period elements to keep as much of the property’s character as possible. ‘We went to lots of trouble to keep the original materials and find similar reclaimed ones that were sympathetic to the house,’ says Joel. ‘Roofing tiles were handmade to match the original ones and new windows commissioned to blend with the original sash windows. From the front it’s a quiet extension and we’ve retained the character from the road, but from the back it has a contemporary edge – we like the juxtaposition of old and new,’ he says. All in all, the project took around six months to

complete. ‘We refurbished most of the house when we did the extension and repainted every room,’ says Anna.

The dark blue and grey colour scheme, which provides continuity throughout the house, stems from the kitchen. ‘We wanted the kitchen to feel solid so we chose a shade of dark blue, with marble worktops for contrast,’ she says. The colour was then continued throughout the downstairs with similar shades used in the snug and library area.

‘It became a key colour for the house,’ says Joel. ‘Our mantra was to limit the palette and materials needed.’

Using as few ingredients as possible worked really well for the couple. Limestone flooring was laid throughout most of the downstairs rooms, while unfinished oak was used for the floor in the snug, plus the furniture, shelving and the window seat in the utility to create a light, natural feel. ‘We wanted it to have a sense of calm so we limited the raw materials and layered up with fabrics and pictures,’ says Joel. ‘The William Morris quote,

“Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful”, played a big part.’

Anna and Joel are thrilled with the finished result. ‘The extension delivers on both a functional and a design level,’ says Anna. ‘It’s changed how we live as a family. We can talk to people when we’re cooking as they sit at the island, and we have cosy nooks where we can tuck ourselves away.’

ORANGE KEY DESIGN STUDIOS, 01488 682918, ORANGEKEYLTD.CO.UK.

What we love most about living hereé ‘We live in a village but can get to London within an hour. It’s the best of both worlds’

Exterior The extension, by Orange Key Design Studios, brings a subtle modern edge to the rear of the property.

Utility The untreated oak and dark grey theme continues into this space. Similar seagrass basket, John Lewis & Partners. Cushion, Timorous Beasties.

Kitchen-diner Large windows and co-ordinated flooring create an easy flow between inside and out. Table, Designers Guild. Benches, Made.com.

Snug A corner sofa is a sociable choice perfect for both family time and entertaining. Sofa, Sofa. com. Cushions, from a selection at John Lewis & Partners, Melin Tregwynt and Sofa.com. Coffee table, Sebastian Cox. Throw, Melin Tregwynt.

Cocktail shaker, Anthropologie. Pineapple ice bucket, Oliver Bonas. Similar stirrer, Urban Bar.

Bathroom Continuing the floor tiles up the walls gives this space a luxury, boutique hotel look.Tiles, Mandarin Stone.Stool, Soho Home.Pendants, Industville.

Beatrix’s bedroom Anna’s chosen a softer colour palette for her daughter’s bedroom. Bed; bedlinen, both Made.com. Throw; cushions, House Doctor.

Main bedroomA Welsh blanket and a Russian nesting doll cushion introduce a subtle folksy theme.Bed, Sofa Workshop.Throw, Melin Tregwynt. Similar cushion, Wayfair.