A blank canvas
Determined to preserve and enhance the historic integrity of their lucky-find cottage, Helen and Paul Jackson have lovingly created a tailor-made family home
Set in rural Buckinghamshire, the Jacksons’ 17th-century cottage oozes classic country charm
From the very first moment Helen Jackson stepped inside this charming brick-and-flint cottage in its idyllic rural Buckinghamshire location, she felt an overwhelming desire to make it her own. After the original sale had fallen through, the estate agents set up an open-house day that attracted dozens of viewers, including Helen and her husband Paul. ‘It was a horrible, cold winter’s day in 2010,’ says Helen. ‘At some point during the viewing, I realised I was falling head over heels for the cottage because I started feeling annoyed that most people hadn’t bothered to take off their dirty shoes and were trudging a trail of mud from room to room.’ Back in 2006, Helen was living in Lancashire when she met Paul for the first time. ‘I had an elegant Edwardian house there that I loved,’ she recalls. ‘Paul was working in London and owned a flat in Clapham South. I was loathe to leave my converted dairy home and really didn’t fancy moving down south, so for the next three years, we commuted between the two places.’
Six months after the couple’s son Isaac was born in 2009, Helen reluctantly agreed to rent out her house and moved into Paul’s flat. But, as soon as she arrived in the area, she began househunting.
‘After months of searching, we received a tip off about the open house day in Buckinghamshire,’ says Helen. ‘We were told that the cottage was steeped in history – it had once been the village saddler’s and was joined to the ropemaker’s house next door. Paul and I both thought it sounded intriguing.’ As they pulled up outside, the couple were struck by the tranquility of the location.
‘The house looked delightful,’ Helen recalls.
‘It was surrounded by thatched cottages in a quiet lane, and was just a stone’s throw from an ancient church.’ The couple’s excitement grew as the property revealed its characterful features.
‘As we walked from the more modern extension to the Victorian addition and then into the 17thcentury living room, it was like taking a trip back in time,’ says Helen. ‘We loved the beautiful old beams, inglenook fireplace, leaded windows and quaint stable door. The cottage had so much soul.’
When the pair ventured upstairs, they almost had to pinch themselves when they saw the vaulted bedroom and pièce de résistance bathroom. ‘I remember thinking: “Oh, if only these walls could speak, they’d have so many tales to tell,”’ Helen recalls. Enchanted, the Jacksons immediately put in a full asking price offer, which was accepted.
‘Although it only had three bedrooms and a smaller garden than we’d hoped for, the character and location outstripped anything else we’d seen,’ Helen adds. After clinching the deal, she began planning how to put her own mark on the property – a blank canvas, ripe for an injection of colour and creativity. She realised her challenge would be to work sympathetically with all the disparate elements to create a welcoming family home.
‘We started by giving the whole property a fresh lick of white emulsion,’ she explains. Then, keen to play to each room’s strengths and features, Helen put together carefully considered moodboards.
‘Thankfully, the flow of the house was great so instead of having to do any structural work I could focus on choosing colours and soft furnishings that would let the character shine through,’ she says. ‘For instance, in the dining room, I picked out the tones of the sandstone fireplace and log-burner. That room has high ceilings and a striking chimney breast that became the focal point with the addition of some floral wallpaper.’
Although the building was in good condition, as custodians of this historic home, Helen and
Paul felt it was their responsibility to ensure the upkeep was maintained. ‘During the viewing, we noticed that a wooden window, in what became our bedroom, was rotten and about to fall out,’ explains Helen. ‘A conservation officer advised me on where to source a replacement and what materials would be required to replaster the walls below. I had to jump through loads of hoops and, by the end of it, I was so glad that our cottage didn’t need any major work – this was pretty time-consuming in itself.’
Apart from having the chimney repointed and repaired, the other tasks were purely cosmetic. They repainted the kitchen units, redecorated every room in chalky Farrow & Ball shades, swapped all the white plastic light fittings for chrome ones, and replaced the window furniture.
A new pantry area was created with bespoke units designed to match those in the kitchen, the pine doors since painted white. ‘I reckon the saddler and ropemaker would be quite surprised that the passage, leading from one property to the other, no longer exists,’ Helen says. ‘There was a large cupboard there with no particular use. We’ve turned it into a wine store.
‘It’s such a privilege to live in this special home. When I left Lancashire, I never imagined that I would feel this happy and settled, but we adore our cottage, the area is fabulous and we’ve made many wonderful friends. We definitely struck it lucky here.’