FUTURE PERFECT
A passion for natural materials and quirky collections brings a distinctive look to a second-generation Norfolk cottage
A passion for natural materials, muted colours and quirky collections gives a distinctive look to an East Anglian cottage
The great advantage we had when buying our house was that we already knew every inch of it, inside and out,” Claire Croft confesses. The 17th-century Norfolk property had been purchased by her parents John and Jean in the mid-1970s
and its location on the edge of a small farming village not far from the coast at Blakeney made it the perfect base for childhood holidays for Claire and her brother Tim.
She has always held a special affection for the place, spending much time there over the years, visiting often from London with her husband Ed and children, Iris, now 14, and Olly, 12. Going on boat trips or bracing walks on the beach and returning to warm up with mugs of hot chocolate in front of the fire are favourite family activities. “We all felt very much at home, so Ed and I were thrilled when my parents asked if we wanted to buy the house from them,” Claire recalls. “We’ve always loved it here,” Ed agrees.
In the early years, when her parents first owned the house, they worked hard to renovate the crumbling old brick-and-flint building, and in 2000 built an extension to provide extra bedrooms and bathrooms. “We felt that some of the spaces were under-used and a little disconnected, though,” explains Claire, who trained as an architect, “so when we took it on in 2013, we wanted to rethink the layout and work out the best use for each room. For example, we sacrificed the fifth bedroom to create an en-suite bathroom for the children.”
Downstairs, the kitchen was moved into the central space, which was larger than its original site and provided a link between the snug that was
created in its wake, and the airy sitting/dining room that now makes excellent use of an old adjoining barn that previously had been used only for storage.
The result is a stylish contemporary country interior that has been designed to suit the family’s needs. “We have so much more living space now,” Claire says. “And being able to see from one end of the house all the way through to the other is strangely pleasing.” To enhance the sense of flow, the couple continued the same palette of natural materials and colours throughout the interlinking rooms: the warm tones of exposed wooden beams and mezzanine balustrades are echoed in the kitchen worktops, while terracotta tiles run the length of the ground floor. Various shades of grey further unify the spaces – from the lead-coloured kitchen units and soft blue/grey of the stair banisters and display cabinet in the hall to the charcoal curtains and sofas in the sitting room, accented by black dining chairs, side lamps, picture frames and a collection of Balinese ceramic vessels perched high on a shelf above the stove.
“I love grey,” Claire explains. “It doesn’t have to be cold – there is so much variation and warmth in certain tones, and it works really well with the antiques that we’ve both inherited over the years. The grey emphasises the rich grain of the wood and helps to blend the older furniture with new pieces we’ve bought.
“This part of the country is well known for its flat landscape and big, open skies that are forever changing,” she adds. “I’ll never lose the sense of awe I feel when I see the bright winter sun setting in a silvery grey sky – that colour combination really strikes a chord with me, and I hope I’ve created a sense of this in our decorating scheme. We love the way the light reflects off the different textures we’ve used and how this changes throughout the day, just as it does outside.”
Along with the muted colours and natural materials, the couple have factored in plenty of comfort. They swapped their tiny en suite, which became a dressing room, for a larger bathroom with an oval freestanding tub and a walk-in shower. “I believe the bathroom is an important space in the house – it’s the place you set yourself up for the day, and where you unwind, ready for sleep,” says Claire, who together with Ed founded Abahna, a company that makes luxurious bathroom products in the UK using natural ingredients such as essential oils, honey, camomile and shea butter, and inspired by the bathing ceremonies of India and the Far East.
“We spend a lot of time travelling to and from London where we often work during the week,” Ed explains, “so it’s essential when we get back here that we can really relax and enjoy every minute of our time off. This house holds a lot of happy family memories across the generations and, while it reflects our taste, it also echoes this special part of the world that we hope our family will enjoy for a long time to come.”
Abahna products are available at Fortnum & Mason in London and direct from abahna.co.uk. CL readers can enjoy a 20% discount on online orders (excluding sale items and bundles) using offer code CL20 until 28 February 2017.