Victoria English Cottage 2018

There is something captivating about a warm and cozy English cottage. The exteriors, often crafted of impressive limestone blocks or weather-tested, limewashed stucco, seem to invite us inside. And, indoors, the comfortable presence of chintz, leather, and solid woods echo that welcome. It is easy to imagine oneself nestled in an overstuffed chair or curled in a window seat with a book by a favored British author, while the aroma of freshly baked scones wafts around us. We have gathered a collection of homes whose owners graciously shared the stories of how they found—and often rescued—dwellings that have become their personal sanctuaries. Through these pages, journey from the East Midlands and Yorkshire to Suffolk and Surrey, and points between, as you study the architecture and furnishings of residences that started life…

A converted stone barn nestled in the tranquil Oxfordshire countryside has proven the ideal rural retreat for Kate and Paul Gerrish, whose desire for beautiful views and longing to live in a period property drove their search for a new residence. “We moved from a three-story, six-bedroom, modern house in a nearby town,” explains Kate. “The children had left home, so we took the opportunity to downsize.” Listed as a Grade II in the historic registry, the building dates from the 1850s and was converted a few decades ago into a character-filled home. “We immediately loved the vaulted ceilings throughout,” Kate says, “and the quirkiness of the second building in the garden, which we now call the studio.” With plenty of ideas for updating interior finishes, the couple set about planning…

When a character-filled property in Aylesbury’s Old Town district was posted for sale, Melanie Kirk couldn’t resist taking a look. She had long admired the home, which had stood empty for some time and was in poor repair. “It was shabby but not very chic,” she says, “but we loved the character and made an offer straightaway.” Situated closer to work and with good schools nearby, the location was perfect. With no major structural renovations necessary, Melanie set about improving and updating the interiors. Kitchen cabinets were removed and replaced with freestanding furniture; dark beams were repainted in a lighter tone; and walls became a soft, pale gray. The Danish artist Vilhelm Hammershøi’s muted shades of gray and blue influenced Melanie’s choice of hues throughout the home. “I think the Scandinavian…

Diane Brittain is a true country girl. As a member of one of England’s esteemed horse racing families, she is used to the hectic pace of life on an ever-bustling stable yard. A few years ago, while she was searching for a new home, friends urged her to choose an urban flat in York or Harrogate, but she was adamant that she needed open fields and pastoral views. When she spotted an old mill house with mellowed brickwork and a traditional clay pantile roof, she was instantly smitten. Located in a quiet Ryedale village, the dwelling had been languishing on the market for quite a while—thanks to outmoded interiors and, more significantly, the fact that it had only two bedrooms—but Diane was undaunted. “I just thought it felt really good,” she…

During one of Jackie and Mener Tsitsis’s frequent excursions from their home in London’s West End to the National Park in Hampshire, Mener noticed that the late-eighteenth-century Heathfield House was for sale. His curiosity was piqued. “I don’t think we went to view it with any intention to buy,” says Jackie. “But it simply took our breath away. We were seduced by the magical atmosphere, and we wanted to bring it back to its glory.” The couple purchased the property, set within a private park in the New Forest, and embarked on the monumental task of its restoration. The historic house once belonged to Lady Emma Bingham, whose husband, Sir George Ridout Bingham, was Napoleon’s jailer. With the building’s eventual division into seven flats, many of the original features needed refurbishing,…

Surrounded by meadows in a remote area of Berkshire, England, the residence of Louisa and Charlie Nicholls boasts storybook allure. Neat rows of fragrant lavender border the brick pathway that leads to their authentic Tudor home, where an embellished doorway, half-timbered façade, and steeply gabled roofline exhibit more than a decade of thoughtful care. Louisa remembers the crumbling condition of the cottage she and Charlie purchased at auction eleven years ago. The 400-year-old structure had been so neglected that when the Nichollses drove to see it for the first time late one night, Louisa refused to get out of the car. “It was rotting from the roof to the floorboards,” the interior designer recalls. “In some places, you could put your fingers through gaps above the windows.” But in the light of…