The biggest challenge
Hannah and Matt Connellan were asked to transform a historic fourstorey building in Beverley into a family home and it was a task that took them almost a year. Lucy Oates reports. Pictures by Chris Snook.
WHEN Hannah and Matt Connellan were asked to transform a historic four-storey building in Beverley into a welcoming family home, it was not only the biggest interior design project that they’d tackled but the property’s unique nature also posed a number of daunting challenges.
Dating back to the early 1800s, the unusual building is Grade II-listed and was not originally built as a home so had what Hannah describes as a “cold, utilitarian feel”. Its prominent and exposed roadside location meant that there was a need to give its owners more privacy, so roller blinds that automatically come down as the light fades were part of Hannah and Matt’s design solution.
The scope of the project was immense; the husband-and-wife team were asked to design and dress every last inch of the space. Aside from a couple of artworks owned by the customer, they had to source all of the fixtures, fittings and accessories required.
Although the pair both hail from Yorkshire originally, they lived in Australia for ten years before returning to the UK in 2019 and settling in Howden, where they opened their business, Revival By Design.
It was originally intended to be an interiors shop-come-studio, but the Covid-19 pandemic prompted a change of direction as the retail side of the business waned and, conversely, demand for their interior design services soared. They were first approached about the Beverley property in September 2021 and for almost a year they lived and breathed the project.
Hannah, an experienced interior design who ran a similar business in Australia, recalls: “As a small team, the project dictated our lives for a long time and the builder was on site for longer than anticipated, which kept putting the whole thing back.”
Matt’s previous project management experience with a company that fits out restaurants and bars has proved to be a real asset as a growing number of customers look to create space in their homes in which to entertain guests.
The Beverley property was no exception; the entire basement is one huge entertaining space, comprising a bar, a television viewing area, a wine cellar and a games room, as well as a plant room and lavatory.
Matt, who worked closely with the contractor hired to carry out the building work, explained: “It was very challenging for the builder. He had to lower the floor, dig out the basement and install underfloor heating. The customer wanted to give the basement a darker and more masculine look than the rest of the house. A crittall door sets the tone by adding an industrial feel.”
Elsewhere in the property, Hannah was keen to add warmth, texture and softness, sourcing ornate cast iron radiators and using her favoured Farrow & Ball paint.
She revealed: “All the paint colours were chosen for the feel of the room and with consideration given to how they look at different times of day. I’m a big fan of Farrow & Ball because other paints don’t have the same level of pigmentation and depth; they don’t change with the light in the same way.”
Feature headboards inspired by Kit Kemp, the British interior designer and founder of Firmdale Hotels, were the starting point for the decor in the bedrooms. There are seven in all, although one is used as a home office and another as a sewing room.
Hannah explained: “The rooms have high ceilings and could easily feel cold so they needed love and energy putting into them. I used a lot of Linwood fabrics as, with 40 windows to dress, we had to think of the budget. We made all of the cushions.”
“We had the wardrobes made and applied panels of wallpaper to them to add pattern and depth – it’s a cost-effective alternative to using wallpaper on all of the walls.
“I’m a big fan of Lewis & Wood wallpapers, which come in muted, earthy colours and have a painterly quality. We always buy British where we can.”
Burlington fixtures gave the family bathroom a spa-like feel and another bathroom on the top floor was split in two to create an en suite for each of the family’s teenage children.
A lounge on the ground floor was turned into what Hannah describes as a ‘fun, family space’ by adding pops of colour, whereas the formal lounge was decorated in muted, sophisticated tones to create a more grown-up vibe.
Thrifty finds, such as the old chaise longue sourced in return for a donation