ESSEX COTTAGE
Although the interior was challenging, the idyllic location made it all worth while
Susanne Wells has given a traditional cottage a new lease of life With thoughtful remodelling and a little festive flair
A last-minutedecision to view a rural cottage turned out to be a fortuitous one for susanne Wells and her husband Barry. they were on their way home from viewing another property when they spotted it. ‘We were blown away by its rural position – it has a very pretty approach and is surrounded by fields,’ says susanne. ‘and despite the interior being a challenge, we fell in love with it.’
the property was originally part of a run of three farmers’ cottages and had become very run-down. susanne’s neighbour had once owned the cottage and did much of the early renovation work, but, after she moved out, the new set of owners changed the decor and used some very strong colours. the flow of the cottage also felt awkward to susanne, with higgledy-piggledy layouts, strange staircase arrangements and uneven flooring. ‘every wall was covered in wood chip, even some of the ceilings,’ says susanne. ‘I’m sure it was glued on with PVA as removing it was such hard work. on the landing, unbeknown to us, the paper was even holding part of a wall in place – when we removed it, the surface fell apart!’
structurally, the couple levelled some of the floors and sorted out the flow of the rooms, making it easier to navigate around the house. they also had heating installed. ‘the house had no heating source, except for one small radiator off the back of the stove, which only warmed the bathroom,’ says susanne.
‘We invested in a new boiler and had underfloor heating fitted in the conservatory. It made such a difference.’
Renovating the bathroom was another challenge. susanne wanted a space with modern amenities, but that also retained the character of the room, so she approached local interior design company Little White Box. ‘We loved their ideas and were thrilled with the result,’ she says. one of susanne’s favourite rooms is the kitchen, which features a vintage Rayburn, ceramic sink and a lovely wooden draining board. Having inherited the hand-built kitchen, the original idea was to have it replaced, but after a while the couple grew to love it so decided to give it a makeover instead. the lacklustre cupboard doors were removed, and new storage areas fitted.
When it comes to decor, susanne is a believer in upcycling and making good from old. ‘Having moved into an old cottage from a modern house, I wanted to find accessories that were unique,’ she says. she and Barry scoured local auctions, antique fairs and boot sales looking for pieces of furniture that would suit their home. ‘We would bring bits home, clean and tweak them and luckily they all seemed to fit,’ says sue.
During the winter months, the interior of the house comes into its own. ‘I’ve always liked decorating and making a house look good at christmas. With all the fields and hedgerows nearby, we go out and forage for lots of greenery and berries to make it look festive,’ says susanne. ‘after all the work we had to do on this house, it is nice to be able to finally kick back and fiddle with foliage rather than doing DIY.’