CHRISTMAS PAST

Wendy and Dean Simpson have renovated a 300-year-old Georgian farmhouse to create a home fit for another century of stylish living

Wendy and Dean Simpson are great hosts so Christmas is usually a string of celebrations in their home – apart from Christmas 2014, when the family of five was squashed into a tiny twobedroom cottage as they waited to move into their current home, a gorgeous and spacious four-square Georgian farmhouse in a village outside Hull.

‘We hadn’t set out to move,’ explains Wendy. ‘We lived in a perfectly lovely new-build in a pleasant village. Dean was just idly looking at “dream homes” on the internet and there was this stunning Georgian farmhouse nearby that neither of us had ever seen, despite having lived in the area for years.’

The couple drove off to see if they could find it and failed. When they called the estate agents, they were shocked to hear it had been on the market for two years.

‘It had been part of a large farm being sold as a going concern so it was out of the budget and capability of most buyers,’ explains Wendy. ‘We spotted it just as the estate had been divided into separate lots and we couldn’t believe it was in our price bracket. When we eventually pulled up on the drive for the first time, I was ready to sign there and then.’

The sale of the house initially fell through, with it going to another buyer early on in the process. ‘We >

❝WE’VE ALWAYS HAD A STRONG SENSE OF DOING THE RIGHT THING BY THE HOUSE. WE WANT TO LIVE IN IT, LOOK AFTER IT AND ENJOY IT BUT WE DIDN’T WANT TO DAMAGE IT OR ALTER THE BONES OF IT ❞

consoled ourselves by saying we had probably bitten off more than we could chew but, when the estate agent got in touch to say it was back on the market, we didn’t hesitate,’ says Wendy. ‘We put our furniture into storage and moved into a rented two-bed cottage until we could move in. The girls all crammed into a tiny bedroom – it was like The Waltons!’

The farmhouse had been a much-loved family home and was structurally sound, and although it had been decorated with immaculate taste towards the end of the 1970s, it now needed updating.

‘We had to rewire and put in new central heating,’ explains Wendy. ‘But the fact so little had been touched meant we had lovely period features, including the sash windows, cornicing and the original floorboards.’

Decorating started at the top of the house and the family worked their way down, switching floors to accommodate each phase. ‘I think we’ve slept in every room of this house,’ says Wendy. With the girls settled into their rooms, the biggest priority became the kitchen extension and bathrooms.

Wendy and Dean considered a number of different reconfigurations, looking to make the space work for modern family life but, ultimately, were restrained in their changes. One of the six bedrooms has become a dressing room and en suite while, downstairs, the >

new kitchen extension is smaller than the Victorian one that had stood there previously.

‘We’ve always had a strong sense of doing the right thing by the house,’ explains Wendy. ‘We want to live in it, look after it and enjoy it but we didn’t want to damage it or alter the bones of it. The previous owners were understandably very attached to the house and wanted it to go to someone who would love it as much as they did.’

Now that the dust and rubble of the renovations are over, the family can enjoy what is mostly definitely a sociable house. Wendy trained on a Jane Means giftwrapping course and, last Christmas, ran workshops at home teaching gift wrapping techniques, wrapping at the kitchen island and serving afternoon tea in the dining room. ‘It was such a lovely couple of days, with mulled wine and Christmas songs – I loved it.’

The big day is all about family. ‘I always host Christmas dinner,’ says Wendy. ‘There are games and silliness, then we all enjoy a big Boxing Day breakfast together.’

Wendy and Dean take their role as custodians of the house seriously. ‘It is such a special place,’ Wendy says. ‘It has been here for 300 years and I hope we’ve given it another 100 through our care. Thinking of how this house will still be standing here long after we’ve passed it on is quite an emotive thing.’

Living room Leather furniture, velvet fabrics and sheepskins combine to create a cosy, texture-filled space. Fireplace, from Creeton limestone by J Rotherham. Stove, Esse. Walls painted in Pavilion Gray, Farrow & Ball. Leather Chesterfield, velvet chair and footstool, Rose & Grey

Exterior Wendy was ready to sign the paperwork the moment she laid eyes on this house. Trumpet door paint, Little Greene, is a match

Hallway The three flights of stairs in this house are dressed in a modern chevron stripe runner from Crucial Trading

Dining room The main rooms are spacious and wellproportioned, with big bay windows allowing for a Christmas tree in each of them. White paper stars, Cox & Cox

Dining room The dining room was one of the last rooms to be decorated. Fireplace painted in Hague Blue, Farrow & Ball. Wallpaper, Family Tree by Ferm Living. Ceiling light, Holloways of Ludlow. Chairs, West Elm

Kitchen The couple opted for an orangery-style roof lantern for the extension, which allows the space to be filled with light. Kitchen cabinetry, Peter Thompson of York. Lights, Industville. Flooring, London White from Lapicida. Dining table, Vitra. Chairs, Jysk.

Main bedroom A pale palette creates a serene scheme, while a velvet throw and fleece add sumptuous texture. Panelling painted in Skimming Stone and Strong White, both Farrow & Ball. Bed and bedside table, Loaf

Dressing room A local joiner created the bespoke cabinetry. Cabinetry painted in Pigeon, Farrow & Ball. Marble countertop, Calacatta Marble. Curtains by Bright Ideas in Market Weighton

Bedroom The annexe had been used as a farm manager’s office until the couple bought the property and renovated it for guests to stay in. Headboard made by Wendy from an old door and painted with Annie Sloan chalk paint