Medieval genius

Stained-glass windows and flagstone flooring, sleek sofas and super-modern lighting – this 12th-century rectory is the perfect mix of old and new. By Amander Meade. Photographs by Rachael Smith

Ancient and modern, in a 12th-century rectory

AN OLD PROPERTY will, inevitably, bear the hallmarks of its occupants’ taste over the years. In the case of Isabel Howett’s family home in Lincolnshire, a former rectory built in the 12th century, those hallmarks include the stainedglass windows installed for an order of Crowland monks in the 16th century; a two-storey extension added by a Victorian philanthropist vicar; and, more recently, an inventive restyle to suit the requirements of modern family life.

The property was unimaginatively described in the sale particulars as a ‘four-bedroom semi-detached house’, but, on doing a bit more digging, the Howetts were intrigued. ‘We discovered it was the west wing of a much larger property which had been divided into three by developers in the 1980s,’ says Isabel, an interior designer, who shares it with her husband Tim, an investment director, their children Rafe, eight, and Georgia, six, and dog Palmer. ‘It was reputedly one of the oldest inhabited parsonages in the country, and it had a gothic feel, with good proportions and huge windows that flood it with natural light. That, together with its history, made it irresistible.’

The previous occupants had been a family with five boys, so although it was much loved, it was also well overdue an update. The kitchen, a tiny galley at the back of the house, was the first thing they wanted to change. ‘I knew we needed a larger family kitchen,’ says Howett, ‘so we worked with our local planning officers on a way of adapting the house to reflect the way we want to

‘It’s never straightforward to modernise a very old building’

live. It’s never straightforward to modernise a very old building, but we did get great support from them when they realised our plans were sympathetic and respectful.’

In total, the work took a year. The couple created a boot room and cloakroom out of the old galley kitchen. They then repurposed the little-used drawing room, also at the rear of the house, to create a spacious, light-filled open-plan kitchen and dining room, with a clever split-level floor, which subtly separates the cooking area from the dining and entertaining space. The extraordinary height of the ceilings – 17 feet – has allowed Howett to indulge her love of flamboyant lighting, with a handmade French Sputnik pendant light; the industrial glamour it gives the room is echoed by the brass bar stools and zinc-topped family table. The back wall is covered with a bold tile-pattern wallpaper, which has also been used beneath the breakfast bar to pull the room together.

Elsewhere, the walls of the entrance hall required serious restoration – an

expensive and time-consuming job – but the result is a magnificent room with plenty of original features, including the medieval front door, and the exposed roof structure, complete with oak gargoyles at the base of the trusses, an example of ancient wood-carving at its best. The large mirror placed at the bottom of the sweeping Jacobean staircase came from Howett’s parents’ home: ‘It has moved into every house we have renovated, but has eventually found its rightful place.’

Taking inspiration from the 15ft stained-glass windows, Howett chose a bright green Roger Oates carpet to contrast with the flagstone floors and heavy woodwork, and a dated antique chandelier was replaced with seven Tom Dixon copper pendants in various sizes. ‘I love the visual impact the reflection of the pendants creates against the flagstones and the bannister,’ she says. ‘The Crowland monks used the hall for

chanting and the acoustics have been fully tested during various parties we have had here.’

Howett inherited her aesthetic eye from her late mother: ‘She had exquisite taste and an effortless ability to create a welcoming home. Her influence is everywhere, in the form of pieces of furniture and objets d’art.’ Far from creating an interior laden with antiques, however, Howett has skilfully combined family pieces with contemporary furniture, including an enormous teal velvet sofa, while splashes of bright yellow on the cabinetry inject the fun and colour appropriate for a young family. In the bedrooms, textural fabrics are used to add warmth and luxury, and gilded mirrors have been placed to ‘frame’ the feature windows and reflect the views over the garden back into the rooms.

The restyled rectory is a testament to Howett’s talent for marrying old with new, and decorating with bold colour and pattern. ‘Tim tends to lean more towards Nordic styling,’ she says, ‘but I thought we should exploit the drama of the original features and celebrate them – as well as giving the rectory the healthy dose of glamour it deserves.’

‘I thought we should exploit the drama of the original features and celebrate them’

Left This cosy nook in the hall makes the most of the light from the magnificent stained-glass window and is Isabel Howett’s favourite place to catch up with her reading

Right The Howett family relax in their finished home. From left: Isabel, six-year-old Georgia, Tim, and Rafe, eight, with their dog, Palmer

Right The exterior of the Old Rectory, from the rear of the property, with the church in the background

Left Tom Dixon pendant lighting (tomdixon.net) and a fresh green stair runner by Roger Oates (rogeroates.com) transform the medieval hall into a contemporary, welcoming space

Above Isabel Howett painted the roll-top bath left by the previous owners and half tiled the walls for practicality. The portrait is of her greatgrandmother Grace, after whom both she and her daughter take their middle name. The Chinese vases belonged to Howett’s mother and were originally from Guinevere on the King’s Road (guinevere.co.uk)

Right The new kitchen-diner makes the most of the light and height. The Sputnik light fitting is by Absolute Flowers (absoluteflowersandhome.com). The Organic Tile wallpaper is £150 per roll by Mind The Gap (mindtheg.com), and the bar stools are by Rockett St George (rockettstgeorge.co.uk).Far right Comfortable seating and uplifting colours are the key to this relaxed and welcoming sitting roomRight Grown-up styling means that Rafe’s room will suit him for years to come. A feature wall in Yellowcake adds some fun: £43.50 for 2.5 litres, by Farrow & Ball (farrow-ball.com)