OXFORDSHIRE COTTAGE
Ann Jarvis wanted to buy and renovate a country cottage as a family retreat... but that was before she fell for the existing design of this Cotswold conversion
The success of this Cotswolds conversion persuaded its new owner not to change anything
When Ann Jarvis decided to look for a weekend retreat in the country for herself and her family, she had definite ideas in mind. ‘I was looking for somewhere I could decorate myself and where I could recycle some of the excess furniture we seemed to have accumulated in our numerous moves,’ she says. Thanks to the demands of her husband Mick’s job, the couple had spent several years living in various American states before finally settling in Berkshire.
Their search for a second home took them to the gentle hills and honey-stone villages of the Cotswolds, where they pounced on a small stable conversion, called The Skirret (which, depending on your sources, is either the name of an obscure vegetable or an archaic building tool). ‘It was detached and in a super location near Stow-on-the-wold,’ says Ann. ‘It had also been beautifully transformed by its previous owner. Although I didn’t intend to buy an “up and running” house, The Skirret was too good to pass up. And as Mick hates decorating mess, he was delighted that there was virtually nothing to do!’
Ann had once worked under the tutelage of ‘Paint Magic’ guru, the late Jocasta Innes, and had developed her own interiors style, which she describes as ‘chintzy‘. So to buy into a style that’s rustic/vintage, with exposed stone walls, industrial furnishings and muted colours, >
❝THE PREVIOUS OWNER DID A GREAT JOB TRANSFORMING THE COTTAGE. THE PAINT COLOURS ARE RICH AND DEEP, AND HE EVEN COMMISSIONED BEAUTIFUL ROMAN BLINDS❞
could have been quite a culture shock. ‘It wouldn’t have occurred to me to decorate like this,’ Ann agrees, pointing out the reclaimed timber on the kitchen walls and the antique items placed throughout the property. ‘And how long would it have taken for me to accumulate all this?’ she asks, pointing to shelves laden with ancient tins, teapots and other memorabilia.
The collector of all these items, and the originator of the striking décor, is The Skirret’s previous owner, interior designer Paul Hervey of PHI Concepts. ‘I bought the house for my family at weekends,’ he says. ‘It had been used as a grain store and more recently as a farm shop.’ His upgrades included repairs to the roof and Velux windows, a replacement kitchen and shower room, new flooring and total redecoration. ‘It was a sweet looking building that needed to feel loved again,’ he says.
The standout features of the house for Paul were the beautiful stone walls in the living room that inspired him to create a ‘rustic bolthole using moody, mellow paint shades’. When paint specialists Little Greene launched a new palette of old, matt greens, he was delighted ‘because I knew that the living room, with all its stone, could take a strong colour.’ As a result, instead of the usual whitewashed walls you would expect of a country cottage, the décor is understated, with pigment-rich greys and greens >
❝I HADN’T INTENDED TO BUY AN “UP AND RUNNING” HOUSE, BUT THE SKIRRET WAS JUST TOO GOOD TO PASS UP❞
predominating and ceramic wood-effect tiles making a strong statement in the bathroom.
Some of the most intriguing aspects of the cottage are the accessories that Paul has managed to unearth and that bring what he calls a ‘vintage extravaganza’ to the rooms. On the wall behind the wood burner in the living room, for instance, hangs a striking shallow basket traditionally used for collecting apples from the orchard. A pair of distressed white painted dovecotes are reflected in the mirror. A black vintage typewriter complete with ink ribbon sits on the coffee table, as if to inspire a would-be novelist. ‘I like to see detailing in a room,’ he explains, ‘and always aim for a homely feeling. I visit lots of antiques shops in my work where dealers know me and keep back anything interesting for me. When I see something I like, I will buy it because I never know when I might see it again. It means I always have plenty of things to play with!’
‘Paul did a great job transforming the cottage before I bought it,’ says Ann. ‘The paint colours are rich and deep and he even commissioned the beautifully-made Roman blinds. Basically I was made redundant with no curtain-making or decorating to do. The cottage is perfect and, as the work on it has been done, we have downloaded a Cotswold Walk app and now have time to explore more of this gorgeous part of the world.’
To rent The Skirret, visit boutique-retreats.co.uk
❝ THERE’S ALWAYS SOMETHING INTERESTING TO CATCH THE EYE. I OFTEN THINK, ‘OH, I DIDN’T NOTICE THAT BEFORE’❞