Country charm One family’s labour of love to create the perfect home in west Berkshire

A cramped cottage has been cleverly turned into a family home by adding a new extension and transforming each room with colour and pattern

When Jules and Ben Covey decided to leave London after the birth of their third child, there was only one direction to go. The call of the West Country was strong, as

Jules grew up in Cornwall and Ben in Somerset. They wanted somewhere closer to their families but near enough to London for Ben to commute to work. West Berkshire fitted the bill and they found a potential home near the pretty village of Pangbourne. Although it was a cold, dark January day when they first saw the house, they had a good feeling about it. ‘We liked that the previous owners had raised their family and lived there for almost 40 years,’ says Jules. ‘We looked at places that had been done up, but not in our style, so it was a relief to find somewhere that needed updating.’

Built in 1810 as a two-up, two-down cottage for the rabbit catcher on a local estate, an extension had been added in the 1970s but the Coveys knew they would have to do quite a bit of work to create their dream home. They moved in a few months later and Jules remembers her heart sinking at the size of the task ahead of them.

They lived there for a year to get the feel of the house before starting any work. The cramped kitchen, with its Formica cabinets and a gas cooker that lit with an alarming eyebrow-singeing ‘whoosh’, was the first priority. The extension had given the house an L-shaped footprint, so the Coveys created a generous new kitchen with a dining area by filling in the space to make a square. It took six months, for three of which they used a makeshift kitchen in the hall, but it was worth it.

The new room has a high-pitched glass roof that lets the light stream in. A local joiner made the blue Shaker-style cupboards with bleached oak worktops, which sit next to a white Aga – a practical choice, as it warms up the north-facing kitchen. Jules has added reclaimed oak floorboards, plus blinds and cushions made from vintage grain sacks, for instant country character. The oak dining table that belonged to her grandparents was originally dark but Jules had it, and its matching chairs, professionally limed to lighten the wood.

At mealtimes, the family has a lovely view of the garden, dominated by an old apple tree from when it was an orchard, through large bi-fold doors. Replacing all the windows, bar two, was no mean feat but, as Jules says, ‘There are so many on all

sides, the light is wonderful throughout the day, so it was worth the investment.’ This abundance of light meant she felt she could be more adventurous with colour. The walls in their previous house were all white but here, each room has different combinations, mostly greyish greens and blues, with the darker colours used for the woodwork so door frames, skirtings, shelves and mantelpieces stand out.

After the major upheaval of the kitchen rebuild and extensive replumbing and rewiring elsewhere, the Coveys did the rest of the house gradually, reinstating fireplaces and adding tongue-andgroove panelling. Inspired by an original section they found in Luella’s bedroom, this panelling now appears in almost every room. It gives a strong coastal feel, which is appropriate because Jules grew up by the sea and Ben is a keen kite-surfer. Collections of shells from holidays in Anglesey fill glass demi-johns that have been turned into lampbases in the sitting room.

Shells are just one of the things Jules has been picking up since she was young – she also has a weakness for buttons, ribbons and assorted vintage bits and pieces, especially rose-pattern china. Some of this is on show, along with other treasures, on the mantelpiece over a log-burning stove. ‘I come from a long line of collectors and homemakers. We have a strong nesting instinct and cosiness is in our genes,’ she says. Family is hugely important to Jules – it gives her great pleasure to use inherited pieces and these are mixed with vintage

‘I come from a long line of collectors and homemakers’

finds from Ardingly and Kempton Park antique fairs and complemented by eye-catching, colourful rugs, fabrics and cushions from Odd – a quirky furnishings company run by her aunt and uncle.

In the sitting room, rugs and cushions liven up the restful grey-green scheme, picking up on the colour of an antique sofa reupholstered in pink.

Although a bit unconventional, Jules has always loved mixing stripes with florals and checks, and upstairs, the same striking combinations of patterns and colours can be found in Luella’s pretty bedroom, with its pink walls, floral quilt made by Jules’s mother, blind and checked lampshade. In the boys’ room, cool bunk beds, built into the eaves and painted a soft blue, are a recent project and source of great excitement for Woody and Ludo, with cubbyholes at each end for bedside lights and favourite toys.

After three years of hard work, the Coveys have transformed the house into the perfect place to bring up their own family, just like the previous residents.

INTO THE BLUE Shaker-style units made by a local carpenter and painted in Juniper Ash greyish-blue by Little Greene are teamed with industrial light fittings from Tinsmiths, RE and Original BTC to great effect.

DINE IN STYLE Light fills the dining area where a pretty floral cloth from Cabbages & Roses and an antique bench from White Door Antiques complement a table and chairs that belonged to Jules’s grandparents. BOOK LOVER’S DREAM Seashells from Anglesey fill a demi-john to make a unique lamp base. The sofa is covered in Old Coat wool check by Odd. IN THE PINK The pink sofa came from an antiques fair and was re-covered in velvet from Designers Guild. A vibrant striped rug picks up on the fuchsia-pink.

COLLECTOR’S CORNER Jules collects old floral china, some of which she displays on the lower shelf of the fireplace. Above, a fairy from The Magpie & The Wardrobe sits alongside Liberty peg dolls, shells and feathers.

FAIRY-TALE BEDROOM Walls in soft Calamine pink by Farrow & Ball provide a perfect backdrop for the eclectic accessories in Luella’s room, including a quilt handmade by Jules’s mother from Liberty fabrics. A PLACE TO STAY A headboard and valance in a bold stripe from Cabbages & Roses makes a statement in the guest bedroom. The walls are painted Greige Light and the woodwork is in Kent Grey, both Sanderson.

SMART STORAGE A cupboard painted in Little Greene’s bold Yellow-pink brightens a corner of the playroom.

CALM VIBES In the en suite bathroom, a floral blind adds pretty colour to the grey-green scheme. The roll-top bath is from the Cast Iron Bath Co and the sides painted in Farrow & Ball’s Pigeon. SHIP AHOY Cabin beds in the boys’ room have plenty of built-in shelving for favourite toys and books. PLAY TIME A double desk from a nursery school near where Jules grew up in Cornwall and an assortment of vintage toys bring character to the playroom.