Collector’s corner A former cottage transformed by art

A passion for art and more than 50 years of collecting has turned Wendy Suffield’s family home into a glorious treasure trove

Wendy Suffield’s passion for modern art and design is apparent as soon as you step through the garden gate of her home, a former gardener’s cottage, in the village of Stourpaine, just outside Blandford Forum in Dorset. The sheltered, south-facing garden is punctuated by sculptures and geometric topiaries. The house has the Dorset Downs on its doorstep, with one of the county’s largest Iron Age hill forts, and a chalk grassland haven for rare butterflies and wildflowers.

As you enter the home, you’re greeted by the serene palette of gallery white, pale grey and pink – and the artworks of Mary Fedden, Julian Trevelyan and

John Hubbard, just a few of the prominent painters Wendy has worked with over the years.

Wendy first came to Blandford Forum in the early 1960s, when she was newly married to her art teacher husband, Mike. Although Wendy had a job in London at the time (drawing for Style Patterns), remaining in the capital was never

a long-term plan. When Mike was job hunting, the pair rode through the attractive Georgian market town on their scooter.

‘It was just so beautiful; I knew I could live here,’ says Wendy. Mike secured a job at the local secondary school and the couple moved into a Victorian house in the town centre.

During their visits, the couple came across The Hambledon Gallery – founded by painter Katharine Church (known as Kitty West) who had connections with the Bloomsbury Set and other contemporary artists – which sold the works of Keith Vaughan, Henry Moore and David Hockney, among others. The couple would stop here for coffee and a biscuit, and got to know Kitty, who invited Wendy to work as her gallery assistant when she moved to Blandford. Almost immediately, Wendy began to introduce a fashion and design element to the business, selling Conran homeware and early Laura Ashley, which Kitty affectionately nicknamed ‘Wendy’s trash’. When Kitty retired in the

‘It was just so beautiful; I knew I could live here’

1980s, Wendy took the enterprise on, developing it into the successful lifestyle store that it is today.

Around the same time, Wendy, Mike and their three daughters had outgrown their first home in Blandford. But, while in the process of moving to somewhere larger, their purchase fell through at the last minute, leaving the family between houses. ‘Prices had gone sky-high,’ says Wendy. ‘We ended up buying another house that was too expensive and too far away; I was getting home at 10 at night. After about a month, I told Mike I couldn’t live there.’ Thankfully, they were able to sell the property easily, and a friend tipped them off about an 18th-century cottage in Stourpaine, just three miles from Blandford. Thirty years later, Wendy laughs at the memory of saying to Mike, ‘It will do, while we find a proper house.’

Despite these early reservations, the cottage has proved to be a surprisingly versatile family home – with four bedrooms and three bathrooms over three floors allowing plenty of space for the girls while they were still living there. Wendy and Mike have adapted the layout to suit their needs by extending into what was the garage to provide a second sitting room and first-floor studio for Mike. Designed by architect Keith Blundell, the living area has a floor-to-ceiling window looking back at the cottage across the garden, which the Suffields have planted with apple and maple trees, honeysuckle and grape vines that trail over walls and arches.

The whole interior is a showcase for 50 years of shared creativity and collecting. Locally made kitchen shelving and storage units display a sizeable array of Spode tableware

sourced in Wendy’s hometown of Rochester, alongside a collection of Staffordshire dogs, and artworks by Mike and the children. Textiles from The Hambledon Gallery, such as rugs by The Braided Rug Company, add a modern feel to the oak-floored main sitting room – contrasting with the low, whitewashed beams and inglenook fireplace. Upstairs, the bedrooms and bathrooms have a French feel with pale linens and antique embroideries offset by decorative vintage mirrors and pink lustreware.

The Suffields have celebrated two of their daughters’ weddings at the house. ‘We have had a lot of fun here, and it really does work perfectly now for the two of us,’ says Wendy. Next on the agenda is more work on the cottage garden, which the couple open to the public during village festivals. ‘I never thought we’d still be here,’ Wendy says with a smile. ‘But, looking back over 30 years, it’s been the perfect home.’

• For more information, visit hambledongallery.co.uk

DRESSER STYLE The dresser was made by local carpenter Steve Coe. The couple began collecting Staffordshire dogs in their youth. The small chest of drawers was bought from a shoemaker’s when it was closing down and the Magistretti chair was from an antiques shop. The artworks are by family and past exhibitors at the gallery.

CALM & SERENE Oak flooring was laid in the sitting room. The vintage Chesterfield was reupholstered in William Morris Strawberry Thief fabric. The rugs are by The Braided Rug Company, the bowls were made by one of Mike’s students and the lithograph above the sofa is by William Scott.

WONDER OF WHITE The second sitting room is a garage conversion. The dresser was an antiques shop find and houses Spode tableware. The sofa is from Ikea and the bowl is by Jerry Broadway.

VICTORIAN SPLENDOUR The Victorian fireplace was found in Blandford. The chair belonged to Mike’s sister and was reupholstered. The flower painting was a gift from Mike to Wendy and the heart embroidery is by their daughter Sandy.

MADE TO MEASURE The units were made by Steve Coe. The worktops are maple. The couple bought the enamel bread bin in California in the 1970s. The trug on the Thonet Bentwood stool is from The Hambledon Gallery.

ON DISPLAY The kitchen shelves display Wendy’s collection of Spode tableware along with enamelware picnic plates. Wendy and Mike bought the vintage mochaware jugs in Stow-on-the-wold.

SLEEP SWEETLY The bedspread is by Linum and the throw is by Tweedmill. The cushion was made by the couple’s daughter, Victoria. The framed smock was made by Wendy out of tissue paper for her daughter Charlotte’s 40th. WASH ROOM Wendy and Mike picked up the mirror in an antiques shop years ago for just £4. Mike made the shelving unit using brass posts from an old bed and wood from the packing cases they returned with after a year in America during the 1970s.