A FINE BALANCE

SET IN THE ROLLING COUNTRYSIDE OF CHESHIRE, IN NORTH-WEST ENGLAND, THIS COTTAGE IS A REMARKABLE BLEND OF ANCIENT AND MODERN.

A Tudor cottage in rural England benefited from the gentle touch of architect and owner Annabelle Tugby.

ENGLISH ARCHITECT AND DESIGNER ANNABELLE TUGBY is known for her pared-back buildings that are thoughtfully embedded in the landscape. When it came to her own home in rural Cheshire, north-west England, the brief was slightly different. Parts of Annabelle’s cottage dated back to Tudor times so a gentle touch was needed. The architectural additions and modernised interior of this mostly 19th-century cottage perfectly combine traditional aspects with a contemporary style. Across the garden is Annabelle’s black timber and white brick A-frame drawing studio, which she remodelled from a semi-derelict workshop to create a beautiful light-filled space.

Living in the cottage with her partner David and three children, Sophie, Ollie and Jude, plus dachshund Otto, Annabelle says the build became a therapeutic process. She was moving on emotionally from a previous marriage, and wanted to create a welcoming and cosy new home for her children. “You need softness after a divorce,” she explains. “Rather than opting for a design that was overly minimal, I wanted something that felt comfortable and homely, as well as being honest to the integrity of the old building and that continued the legacy of the people who lived here before.”

Period properties always have their own unique difficulties. Cosy cottages tend to come with low ceilings, and here, the ceiling height in the kitchen was simply too oppressive for modern living. So Annabelle dug out the floor and underpinned it, a process that was “extremely challenging, especially when working with such an old building,” she says, as some of the kitchen dates back to the 16th century. It’s clear she wasn’t afraid to put her own stamp on the interior, knocking through walls to create a connected, open-plan space, and using contemporary materials like ply-panelled walls and smooth concrete floors. But she retained the nook in the kitchen where the previous owners often sat, taking advantage of the sunlight that streams in through the window, and that became her breakfast booth.

It was worth the time and effort. The home now centres around this large kitchen, which comprises a modern pantry, a preparation island and a seating area for >

“When it comes to furniture and accessories, I look for character and tone.”

“Rather than opting for a design that was overly minimal, I wanted something that felt comfortable and homely.”

family meals. At one end is a white Aga and an exposed brick wall. Light floods in through floor-to-ceiling picture windows, blurring the boundaries between inside and out. Another connection: the pebbled floor in the kitchen, which flows through to the external courtyard beyond. (Cobbles are a traditional material in the area.)

Annabelle’s architectural and design practice specialises in high-end residential work, with an emphasis on locality as well as beautiful materials, textural contrasts and finely crafted minimalist detailing. This is all particularly in evidence in her office, that workshop in the garden where she works with her team. She reroofed it in agricultural metal, to retain the industrial feel, and added an extension to serve as a meeting room.

Despite the two-year build process, and the accumulated mass of design experience, craftsmanship and love that’s gone into it, her favourite spot in the whole place hasn’t changed since the day she first fell in love with it. “It was the garden that had me hooked,” says Annabelle. And it’s not hard to see why. In a perfect contrast to the cosy interior, the garden offers panoramic views over the surrounding countryside. It’s yet another note in the harmony of opposites that makes this house a home.

For more information, visit annabelletugbyarchitects.co.uk

With plenty of architectural interest, home-owner Annabelle Tugby worked with simple, neutral colours; FACING PAGE Discreet blinds show off the lines and details of the windows, while a sheepskin throw keeps it cosy.

CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE Annabelle and Otto; an abstract artwork from the Picasso School adds colour to the space; view from the meadow; on the table, a mix of earth textures creates interest. FACING PAGE Black accents contrast with the pale wood of the door.

CLOCKWISE, FROM ABOVE The white brick A-frame drawing studio and adjacent black timber meeting room; the kitchen’s island is centred on the Aga, which adds to the homely feel; Annabelle and Otto in the breakfast nook; the materials used create beautiful, complementary surfaces with a particular emphasis on texture. FACING PAGE The linen-cushioned seat provides a comfortable space for the family to eat.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Throughout the house, a neutral colour palette holds court with plywood walls, oak stairs, and walls painted Farrow & Ball Wimborne White; antique walnut bed with marquetry detail; vintage mirror; freestanding bath from Bathroom Takeaway; one of Annabelle’s three cats; FACING PAGE The bedroom is one of the more traditional spaces, with the antique walnut bed and ceramic bead lamp from Moth.

Pebbles and rugged timber joists add character and texture in this relaxing spot; FACING PAGE The black timber-clad extension is adjacent to the drawing studio; outside the utility room; plants frame the view to the garden.