OLD HOUSE NEW HOME
A DILAPIDATED PERIOD PROPERTY IS TRANSFORMED INTO A FAMILY HOME THAT SHOWCASES A LIFETIME OF TREASURES
Creating a home that works for modern living while still retaining all the character of a period property takes dedication, vision and sensitivity. Luckily, Hilary and Nick Chambers weren’t afraid to take on the challenge when they bought their dilapidated home in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, because they could see the potential under all the chaos and disrepair.
“When we moved in, the house was in a bad state,” explains Hilary, who lives with husband Nick and their three children, Olive, ten, Iris, eight, and threeyear-old Herbie. “Imagine ancient carpets, a leaky conservatory, a tiny kitchen, a mouse infestation and walls that came away with the wallpaper. A quarter of the dining-room ceiling was missing, the bathroom was aqua and the garden was a write-off.”
When the time came to renovate the house, four years after buying it, the whole scheme began with the kitchen – specifically the floor. Hilary fell in love with the bold geometric encaustic tiles and went in search of a colourway that would complement them. Hilary explains, “I’ve always loved deVOL and its Pantry Blue kitchen cabinets – coupled with brass hardware – was the right choice.” As are the Crittall-style steel doors at the end of the extension, which frame the garden beyond, with its deck for outdoor dining and a huge weeping silver birch tree. Nick, a product developer, is also a keen cook, so his priority was the kitchen which has plenty of worktops and space for three fridges.
For this family, home means “space to relax and entertain and watch the family grow, surrounded by all our favourite things,” says Hilary. With this in mind, they decided to dedicate what was originally the dining room to a kids’ playroom housing the children’s toys and games. This means that the lounge remains a calm and serene haven for the grown-ups. Here resides Hilary’s favourite object – the textile swan over the mantelpiece, from an independent maker in Brooklyn called Tamar Mogendorff. Hilary explains, “We first saw it when »
“WE’RE PREPARED TO WAIT FOR THE RIGHT THINGS – I’D RATHER HAVE AN EMPTY SPACE THAN PLUMP FOR SOMETHING THAT’S NOT QUITE RIGHT”
“COLLECTING OBJECTS WITH MEANING IS AT THE HEART OF THIS HOME… EACH ONE HAS A STORY OR A MEMORY”
we lived in NYC pre-kids. I finally bought it ten years later for our 10th wedding anniversary as we both still loved it. It provides a lovely splash of drama while reminding us of our adventures across the pond.”
Collecting objects with meaning is at the heart of this home. “My sister gave me a Paul Thurlby print for a big birthday, which I know I’ll love for ever,” she says. “Another is a doodle my brother did, while others are from various travels. Each one has a story or a memory.”
The home is an eclectic mix of old and new and the couple are prepared to wait for the right things to come along. The beautifully distressed kitchen dresser is a good example of this. “We stalked it through two sales,” laughs Hilary. “I’d rather have an empty space than plump for something that’s not quite right.”
Upstairs, Hilary found the bathroom the most difficult room to design and it eventually ended up undergoing a huge transformation. “The builders were tearing their hair out waiting for me to decide between tongue and groove or tiles. I just couldn’t visualise how it would look, but I really love how it’s turned out. Taking a bath looking up at the night sky is a real treat.”
Although Hilary didn’t begin the project with a scheme in mind, each room shares a similar aesthetic with muted greens and blues and carefully chosen objects throughout. As with the bathroom, Hilary hadn’t really considered how the rooms would fit together, claiming, “It worked out well by complete fluke.”
It may be a fluke, or could it perhaps be the benefit of living with the bones of a house for four years before beginning work? The Chambers’ way may be slow and steady, but it pays off in subtle ways. It’s this attitude that makes Hilary most proud. “After about three years of living in it, the whole project felt completely overwhelming logistically, creatively and financially, but we got there in the end. Looking back at original photos, I can’t help but be proud of the care and consideration that we put into the renovation – it’s a sympathetic restoration as well as a modernisation. It was such a sad and unloved house and I feel it’s had the treatment it deserved.”