Dramatic licence
This exceptional home in a village near Leeds is hidden away from view and full of surprises thanks to its dramatic interiors and great attention to detail. Sharon Dale reports. Pictures by Simon Hulme.
LOCATION, location, location was uppermost in Paula and David Matthews’ minds when they spotted a property for sale in a sought-after village on the outskirts of Leeds. The tucked away, detached house was in need of work, its enormous garden was overgrown and the price stretched their budget but they could both see its potential.
Paula in particular knew what it could be thanks to her ability to visualise and so the deal was done.
A quarter of a century has gone by since the couple got the keys to the door and there are no regrets, not least because Paula has just completed another major makeover on the interiors, which is nothing short of sensational.
“When I first saw it, I thought it could eventually be our dream home even though it was an ugly house, though if I’d known how long it would take to do all the work, I probably wouldn’t have bought it,” she says.
She appointed herself chief gardener as no-one else wanted the job and it has taken her years to tame the two and a half acres of land and gardens while making it ecofriendly.
There was a lot of back-breaking weeding involved but being in nature and the joy that brings is compensation.
Inside, one of the most impressive ideas that Paula came up with was creating a double height entrance with an atrium and a staircase leading to a galleried landing. The walls are in her favourite rich “neutral” colour Farrow & Ball’s Mouse’s Back.
Her love of mixing new pieces with interesting vintage finds and work by artists and makers adds character and interest throughout the house and includes a wall-mounted vintage typewriter, new pictures in an old frame and pottery with
Facebook Marketplace, charity shops and West Park Antiques in Harrogate among her hunting grounds.
The dining room has been extended and while the new glazed doors onto the verandah deliver light and views, the space is dark and atmospheric thanks to walls painted in Farrow & Ball’s Pitch Black. The oriental cabinetry is beautiful and useful but the stand-out item is the antique mahogany fireplace that Paula found on Facebook Marketplace.
She painted it black and accessorised and by its side is an old dressmaker’s dummy dressed in vintage Biba.
“I like entertaining and this is where we have people round for dinner. The darkness makes the room feel cosy and gives it a great atmosphere,” she says.
The extra large family room and the adjacent sitting room are painted in Dulux DH Slate, a deep olive green.
The family room is the only space that
David had a say on. He wanted a large leather sofa in there, big enough to seat all the family.
“It’s not what I would’ve bought because living in my head was a gold velvet sofa but it’s fine and I couldn’t deny him it,” laughs Paula, who has added cushions and a distraction in the form of large mural from Photowall.
The decor in the separate sitting room was entirely her choice and is in two distinct halves with two sumptuous sofas at one end and vintage and handmade finds at the other.
Those who suffer kitchen envy go weak at the knees when they see Paula’s transformation of an area that had been an old, much smaller kitchen and an adjoining room used as a gym.
The large kitchen and utility room/pantry was a collaboration of Paula’s ideas and input from the builder and from Joe of Wharfe Valley Interiors, who made the cabinets.
She says: “Joe is a perfectionist, a real craftsman and absolutely brilliant. He went above and beyond.”
It was her idea to design the island to look like a Victorian table with storage, rather than a solid block and she chose Farrow & Ball’s Minster Green for the cabinetry and brass taps for the butler’s sink, plus ceramic lights from Ceramiche. Zara Home is her go-to for pots, pans and utility items.
Other favourite places to shop include OKA for crockery and Rockett St George for quirky accessories.
The downstairs loo is also a looker thanks to Paula, who chose a Thomas
Crapper sink and loo with the former set into an old Singer sewing machine table, though she credits bright ideas from the builder who made the space work by suggesting space-saving pocket doors and a roof lantern.
Upstairs, the bedrooms are a work in progress apparently, even though to most of us they look like the finished article.
The guest bedroom is vintage in style and cosy and makes the best of what was an awkward space.
“It’s been a big project but I’ve enjoyed it and the tradespeople we used were brilliant and worked together so well,” says Paula.
With everything on the ground floor practically perfect in every way, she has enjoyed popping pictures on Instagram and following others in the interiors community on the social media site.
She is relatively new to it so do give her a follow if you want to see more of the house and her work.
“I love looking on Instagram although I’m not very confident in posting as I have imposter syndrome,” says Paula.
Her family is super proud of what she has achieved and it was they who contacted The Yorkshire Post to see if we fancied featuring the house. It was an obvious “yes”.