Des res on a platter

Home is where the art is for ceramic artist and printmaker Angela Hall. Heather Dixon reports. Pictures by Dave Burton.

Moving next door to the inlaws might not be everyone’s idea of a good strategy, but Angela Hall couldn’t think of anything more natural than to up sticks to the farm where her husband Richard was born, raised and worked.

Apart from the practical issue of being closer to work, the three-bedroom property they were moving into had open rural views on all sides and enough land for Angela to create her dream garden.

“We were living in a period property in Thirsk before this and wanted to be out of the town,” she says.

“Richard was working on the farm, where his parents and brother live, and this house – which was being let as a holiday home – was coming up empty. Everyone agreed that for us to move into it would work for everyone.”

Before they moved into the property near Thirsk, however, the couple wanted to extend it to create more room for themselves and their children, Connie, 22, and William, 29.

“We remodelled it by building a twostorey extension at the back, creating a family living kitchen with a larger bedroom above,” says Angela. “It was already a lovely, light house but the extension has completely transformed it and linked it directly to the garden.”

They also extended at the front, creating an L-shape to the kitchen area, and replaced all the windows with new ones.

“There were bay windows at the back which were rotten so we put in modern glass windows instead,” says Angela.

“The light is amazing. It’s such an open house that we can see the sun shining on one side and, at the same time, rain coming in on the other. We are always very aware of the seasons.”

She and Richard are both practical people and chose Dulux Timeless white walls throughout the house so they could “patch it up” easily but add character and colour with furniture, artwork and accessories.

“We knew it wouldn’t look cold because we have wooden floors and loads of rugs, which made the whole house comfortable and homely,” adds Angela.

“We have filled it with a very eclectic mix of furniture – pieces from our families, new things and then things we’ve bought in salerooms.

“When you live on a farm you can’t be too precious about things. It’s a working home, but it’s also a very personal home. We have filled it with things we both love which have sentimental value.”

The house includes a spacious utility and boot room, where Richard takes off his “wellies covered with mud and straw”, and a studio where Angela develops designs for her ceramics and silk screen prints.

“I find inspiration in the woods and heathland around us and spend a lot of time outdoors collecting ideas for my work,” she says.

Many of her garden-inspired bespoke vases and large platters are used in the home, others are on display in glassfronted cabinets and others she sells, but she is also an avid collector of other artists’ paintings, drawings and