The search for somewhere dry to keep a car led this couple to the dream home they didn’t know they were looking for

The ambitious overhaul of this worker’s cottage enabled Joanna and Simon Binder to switch from weekend visitors to full-time countryside dwellers

Changing the direction of Joanna and Simon Binder’s life from long-term city dwellers to committed countryside lovers took only one weekend. The epiphany happened 20 years ago, when the couple visited Joanna’s boss who lived in a picturesque valley near Bath. ‘We were smitten and by the end of the weekend he had found us a property to rent in a small village nearby,’ recalls Joanna.

Joanna’s job in fashion and Simon’s in the restaurant business meant they needed to stay in London during the week, but every weekend could return to Wiltshire. About 10 years ago, Simon sent a note around the village asking if anyone had any dry storage for cars. ‘We received a reply from a cottage we’d always admired in the hamlet outside the village, but they told us in order to benefit from the storage we would have to buy the house as they were moving,’ says Joanna. Drawn to the location, the pair recognised the opportunity to develop the house’s barns for additional guest accommodation.

Since buying the property in 2010, the couple have embarked on an ambitious renovation that has unfolded in two stages – first the main house and then, several years later, the barns. ‘The cottage entrance was small, so the first thing we did was open it up and change the position of the staircase,’ says Joanna. ‘We also cut >

❝THE KITCHEN FEELS LIKE AN OPEN, FRIENDLY ENTERTAINING SPACE WITH THE LARGE TABLE CENTRAL TO THE ACTION ❞

back the walls, which had been added to over the years for insulation, but were thick and cumbersome. We raised the ceilings in some cases and dropped them in others, plus we opened up all the windows to let more light in.’

The gardens were also landscaped. ‘At the front of the house was a massive area of gravel, so we laid turf and created beds,’ says Joanna. They also planted two large orchards of more than 50 trees, as well as a wildflower meadow to encourage bees and butterflies.

It was after the completion of the barns that Joanna and Simon finally took the plunge to move here permanently. They have given the cottage a ‘modern country’ interior. Wide pale oak floorboards bring a clean, simple quality to many of the rooms, with reclaimed terracotta tiles giving an authentic aesthetic to the kitchen. ‘The kitchen feels like an open, friendly entertaining space with the large table central to the action,’ says Joanna. Bathrooms were refreshed with Moroccan stone and Tadelakt waterproof plaster. Smart joinery for windowsills in the same light oak as the floorboards helps to unify the interiors.

The shift from town to country has turned out to be a positive change for Joanna and Simon. As Joanna says, ‘The more you’re here, the more you get out of it.’ Architecture by Mackenzie Wheeler, mackenziewheeler.co.uk

❝ TO ACHIEVE OUR MODERN COUNTRYINSPIRED INTERIOR, WE RAISED THE CEILINGS, PLUS WE OPENED UP ALL THE LIGHT❞ WINDOWS TO LET IN MORE

Exterior Joanna and Simon landscaped the front garden, which was previously gravel, laying a new lawn and planting wildflowers

Boot room The original cottage walls have been sealed with a warm shade of limestone paint. Walls painted in Red Ochre by Rose of Jericho

Boot room Oak windowsills provide a modern finish. Wicker storage basket, The Basket Company, is similar

Kitchen Beautifully arranged foliage brings the outside in. Bespoke table, Bow Wow. Ceiling lights, Trainspotters

Kitchen Steel worksurfaces are low-maintenance and functional. The absence of upper cabinets gives the kitchen a spacious feel. Cabinetry and worktop, Mackenzie Wheeler Architecture & Interiors

Living room Textures of fleece, faux fur and leather bring an earthy, natural feel to the space. The Conran Shop. Bow Wow Sofa, Coffee table,

Guest bedroom The oak headboard, made by a local joiner, doubles as a display shelf. Rug, The Conran Shop. Bedsheets, The White Company. Throw and cushions, Neptune

Main bathroom Placing the bath under the low eaves makes excellent use of the space. Sink, Duravit. Taps, Zucchetti

Landing The hall was updated with smart tongue-and-groove cladding and Joanna’s grandfather’s chair was reupholstered. Painting, antiques shop find

Main bedroom Stripping back the ceiling and cladding the roof in oak gave the room a more spacious feel. Jute rug, The Conran Shop. Mirror, Skandium