25 Beautiful Homes August 2020

In my house, August is projects month. The good weather (fingers crossed) and bank holiday mean that my husband and I choose this time to hunt for some quick wins – the kind of small transformations that make a big difference. This year, thanks to months spent at home in lockdown, I’ve got no shortage of ideas and have been building up my mood board. High on the list is to do something dynamic with my wardrobe doors. I’m thinking about replacing them with a bespoke joinery design to give the whole room a lift. This issue is packed with ideas for original upgrades. We placed a particular focus on alfresco living and glazing, as we felt light, bright spaces that embrace the outdoors would strike the right note now. Similarly,…

DECORATING ADVICE ‘To make a house feel personal, it’s important to display the things you love and are passionate about’ When Matt and Victoria Bresler first viewed their house in Cape Town’s Constantia Valley, they were so excited, they didn’t think twice about buying it – then promptly demolished it. ‘It was the land, position and the aspect that we were attracted to, not the building itself,’ says Matt. ‘On our first visit, I spent two or three minutes inside the house and about an hour standing on the roof admiring the surroundings.’ After a decade of working abroad, Matt and Victoria had decided to settle and find a place to raise their children Jonty, now 13, Hannah, 11, and Ollie, nine. With a generous garden bordering onto lush vineyards and enjoying…

Having a chance conversation at a village fête persuaded Anna Cox that moving to the Oxfordshire countryside was a great idea. ‘I’m forever grateful to Teya, as the first time we met, she convinced me that the Cotswolds, and in particular this area, was perfect for a young family,’ says Anna. LESSONS LEARNT ‘It’s better to wait and only buy things for your home that you truly love. Less is more’ While searching for a home, Anna and her now ex-husband rented a cottage in Gloucestershire. ‘Originally we lived in London but decided to move out of the city when we had Alfie,’ says Anna. ‘We looked at over 20 houses before finding this one. I have rejected properties in the past, before I’ve even walked through the door because I didn’t…

Many homeowners decide to move house when their children leave home, but this was not the case for Liz Houghton and her husband Richard. ‘We’d lived here for 19 years, doing rooms piecemeal when we had the money, living the chaos of family life with our three children, Will, Tom and Sophie,’ says Liz. ‘We loved our home’s quirky feel, the eaves, casement windows – even the outdoor loo. So as the children started to leave for university, we decided to refresh it rather than move.’ Tragically, this decision coincided with the death of eldest son, Will, in a cycling accident in 2016. ‘Will is very much part of our lives and we talk about him all the time,’ says Liz. ‘Losing him made us more determined to make this house…

FAVOURITE ROOM ‘I like the indoor/outdoor feel of the living area – with the doors open, it is almost like we are in the garden’ FAVOURITE FEATURE ‘The natural light – because there are so many windows and doors, even if it’s only a halfway sunny day it is always warm and bright in the house’ When Elizabeth Sandeman and her husband Derek decided to downsize when their children grew up and left home, finding a suitable property turned out to be a challenge. ‘We love the New Forest and the surrounding countryside especially the village we live in, so we didn’t want to move away,’ says Elizabeth. ‘Not many properties come up for sale in our price range, so when a bungalow with a large plot of land came on…

LESSON LEARNT ‘There were lots of decisions to be made and at times it was all rather overwhelming, but choosing the right team for our build was key’ When Laura Colucci and her husband Paul bundled their baby into the car and drove out of London in a quest to find golden sands and big skies, they’d no idea that their day trip to the West Sussex coast would have such an impact on their lives. ‘A friend had given us a tip-off about West Wittering beach and we were captivated,’ says Laura. ‘This magical day was the catalyst that inspired us to build our own beachside home and the yoga studio I’d longed for.’ In 2007, after the couple’s eldest son, Luca, was born, the Coluccis found themselves frequently escaping…