Photography courtesy of Ridge & Furrow.
From time to time we run across a designer and quickly spend the rest of the week deep-diving through their entire portfolio.
“The only things here when we bought the place were the brick and stone walls and the outer roof structure. There was no floor, only mud, and no upper story. But unusually for an agricultural building, it was designed by an architect, Benjamin Bucknell, in the Victorian era,” Elle says.
A garden path leads to the revived agrarian building.
An arched doorway leads into the kitchen.
The couple found an old, time-worn stone sink for the dark-painted kitchen.
One wall of the kitchen is paneled in shiplap, painted glossy black; a reclaimed bench creates a dining nook.
“We found a source of reclaimed bead board that we used to create all our new room partitions,” says Elle.
Another reclaimed partition leads into the snug. When I was stuck, Martin said one day he’d like the place to feel like his battered old tweed jacket, so I turned to that for color inspiration, too.
The snug is layered with antique rugs and filled with books.
“We have phases of collecting particular things,” says Elle.
The snug’s ceiling is painted in Little Greene’s Light Bronze Green.
An example of the couple’s conscientious unearthing: the fireplace.
The couple’s design ethos: “Sustainable, breathable, solid, natural, and reused materials; traditional detailing;” and creating spaces that feel as though they’ve always been there.
The couple’s bedroom is a study in layers, including a hanging tapestry—which adds intrigue and also extra insulation in old stone house.
“When we bid on the barn, we found a massive old tapestry in the local charity shop, but we didn’t have a wall big enough to hang it in our old house,” says Elle.
One bathroom has exposed copper pipes and stone floors.
Another bath, this one in a palette of rich, warm reds.
“Neither of us believe in ‘forever homes’ and are more inclined to throw ourselves out of our comfort zones and go where the wind takes us for the thrill of another project,” says Elle.