Escape to the country
Claire and Ed Croft bought Claire’s parents’ holiday home in Norfolk and customised it to suit their busy family
A former holiday home has become a permanent retreat
Snug
‘This was the kitchen-diner, but it’s much better now as a snug,’ says Claire. ‘It’s tucked away from the hustle and bustle. We love unwrapping presents here in front of the fire at Christmas.’
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Claire Croft lives here with her husband Ed and their daughter Iris, 17, and son Olly, 15. Claire and Ed run their own company, Abahna, selling bathing products and scented candles.
THE PROPERTY
A four-bedroom cottage and adjoining barn that dates back to the 17th century, in north Norfolk.
THE VALUE Similar properties in the area go on the market for around £1.3m.
Claire and Ed Croft bought this property from Claire’s parents five years ago. ‘They had bought it as a holiday home back in the Seventies, when my brother Tim and I were still living at home in Yorkshire,’ she says. ‘When Ed and I lived in London, we stayed here with my parents regularly, so it has a lot of fond memories for us all.’
When her parents decided to sell up, Claire and Ed bought the house as a bolthole for themselves, but they soon decided to make the move permanent. ‘We carried on using the cottage as a base for the first couple of years, while we were still based in London, but then decided to make the break completely and set up home here full time. The children are at school nearby, our warehouse is up here, and we’ve got an outbuilding in the garden that we converted into our office, so there’s no need to be spending half a day on Mondays and Fridays travelling up and down the A11.
‘Aside from being in an enviable location, we were fortunate that my parents had done most of the major restoration work. But, to make it work for us as a full-time home, we did make some changes. Some rooms were under-used and we tended to spend most of our time in the cosy room at the far end of the house, which was the old kitchen-diner, but was more suited to being a snug. So we knocked through to an adjoining barn that was being used for storage and rearranged the layout.’
Neutral shades throughout the house create a unified backdrop for eclectic displays of antiques, artwork, collections and curios. ‘Claire is a bit of a magpie,’ says Ed. ‘She’s always hunting around antiques markets, fairs and junk shops. She has a really good eye, and luckily, we have very similar taste so I never have to worry about what she’s going to bring home next!
‘The house works perfectly for us now,’ continues Ed, ‘and we have no regrets about leaving the city. We no longer suffer that Sunday night feeling, dreading the drive back to London the next day. We’re definitely at home here, and we intend to stay as long as we possibly can.’ Claire adds, ‘The fact that family members and friends past and present have been coming here for more than 40 years makes it a very special place to live.’
“Instead of looking out onto the rooftops and polluted skies of the city, our view is now the rolling hills of the lush, ever-changing countryside”
Kitchen
The grey-painted finish of the cabinets is the perfect cool tone to balance the warm and characterful original terracotta tiled cottage flooring.
BUY THE KEY PIECES Winchester Grey kitchen, from £2,715 for eight units, Magnet. Walls in Shaded White estate emulsion, £46.50 for 2.5L, Farrow & Ball
“Claire is a bit of a magpie. She is always hunting around antiques markets, fairs and junk shops for unusual bits and pieces”
Kitchen island
Industrial-style pendants give the traditional cottage kitchen a more modern, raw edge.
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Kitchen island
The kitchen island doubles up as a bar during informal gatherings, with its high metal-leg stools. The sheepskin seat cover was bought on a skiing holiday in Slovakia.
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Dining area
‘We knocked through into the adjoining barn to add a doubleheight dining room and living area, and then moved the kitchen into the middle so it’s at the heart of the house. It has made the living spaces feel much better connected.’
BUY THE KEY PIECES Pax rattan chairs, £169 for two, Dunelm, look like these. For a Wishbonestyle chair, £139, try Cult Furniture
“Don’t rush to make major changes. Living here, we got to know what worked well in terms of layout, what spaces didn’t work and the areas that were under-used”
Living area
The Crofts’ larger living area is located in what was the old barn, adjoining the dining area. They’ve kept to a tonal palette of soft greys throughout the open-plan space. It can be tricky to make such a high-ceilinged room feel cosy, but the couple have used dark upholstery and black accents on accessories to achieve this.
BUY THE KEY PIECES
Persephone table lamp, £175, Oka. Reveal coffee table in walnut, £599, Dwell. For a similar Zeus wall plaque, £18, try Brighthelm Stone
Main bedroom
Cool, pale grey walls create a calm backdrop for sumptuous colour and texture on the statement bed with its oversized velvet headboard.
BUY THE KEY PIECES Faux-fur throw, £185, Laura Ashley. Mull double headboard, from £379, The Headboard Workshop. Cushions, from £59 each, Clarissa Hulse. Similar Navy jersey bedspread, £36, John Lewis & Partners