THE ART OF HOMEMAKING
Clocking up their fifth renovation, Claire Rogers and her husband Matt have turned a former cart lodge into an easy and eclectic family home
Reusing and recycling furniture has created a characterful interior in this former cart barn
One of my favourite things about living here in this tucked-away spot is that I can witness the seasons changing from almost every window,” says photographer Claire Rogers of her family home at the end of a quiet lane in a Suffolk village. “This area is such a magical place to be: it’s so peaceful and calm, as it’s not on the way to anywhere, yet the coast is just a short drive away.”
The house, Claire explains, was originally outbuildings serving the neighbouring cottage, and has parts dating back to the 1800s: “The sitting room was once a barn and cart shed, open to the elements, with a hayloft above that is now our daughter Trulie’s room.” The building had been extended again and again over the centuries, but without much thought to its use as a family home. “Since we moved in three years ago, my husband Matt and I have reimagined the higgledy-piggledy layout to establish a sense of flow.”
The entire renovation took around 12 months and the biggest challenge was to pull together the jumble of rooms. “The ground floor had an awkward layout,” Claire says. “The previous owner had installed the swimming pool pump as well as the utility room right at the heart of the house, while the kitchen was tucked behind in an area that we’ve since divided in two – to move the utility into a more discreet location, and to create a snug by adding a woodburning stove in the existing fireplace.”
There were extensive changes upstairs, too, including adding a proper staircase “to replace what felt more like a ladder!” They decided to sacrifice a bedroom to create one bigger room with a dressing room and en-suite bathroom. “We didn’t really need four bedrooms, as there are only three of us,” Claire says, “plus, it felt a bit odd that the smallest bedroom was the one with the en suite.”
Throughout, the house was refreshed with neutral Farrow & Ball shades (bar the snug, which
has been painted a dark blue Dulux tone) to update the existing yellow walls and royal blue carpets. “Between us, Matt and I have done most of the work,” Claire explains, “including the plastering, once the builders had knocked down various walls; we also did all the painting, and Matt built the front porch and an oak balcony off our bedroom (from a tiny model I made). We’ve renovated five houses together now: if we can’t afford to pay tradespeople, we learn how to do the job ourselves.”
The family also saved money when furnishing their home, with old pieces brought from previous houses given a fresh coat of paint to suit the new location. “I used to have a furniture shop in my garden years ago,” Claire says, “and what’s here are all the bits that didn’t sell. When you have children and animals running around, you can’t be too precious, so solid furniture that can be touched up with paint is the best option.”
Even the hand-built kitchen units were picked up for a song and given a makeover: “We found them on Gumtree and only had to travel to Norfolk to collect them,” Claire says. “It took a bit of effort on Matt’s part to squeeze them all in. I then painted them to blend in with the rest of our furniture. I much prefer reusing and recycling than buying new, so I love visiting car boot sales and junk shops, and I have a few bits and pieces that I’ve inherited from my mother and grandmother. All these objects with age and history add to the feeling of a home.
“It’s a warm and comfortable house now, too,” she adds, “thanks to underfloor heating beneath the stone flooring we laid downstairs. As we’ve reconfigured the layout, it’s no longer a warren of small rooms. It feels light, bright and welcoming, which is why we have a constant flow of family and friends coming to stay from May to September. But even when our visitors head home, this place doesn’t feel too large for our little family – it really is magical.”
CLAIRE ROGERS is a photographer specialising in ‘fairy child’ portraits. To find out more about her business, Wild & Whimsical, visit clairerogers.co.com.
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