{"id":10825,"date":"2022-05-08T10:00:50","date_gmt":"2022-05-08T08:00:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homesandantiques.com\/?p=30121"},"modified":"2022-05-08T10:24:11","modified_gmt":"2022-05-08T08:24:11","slug":"how-laura-renovated-her-ancient-hampshire-cottage","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/homesantiques\/rss_feed\/how-laura-renovated-her-ancient-hampshire-cottage\/","title":{"rendered":"How Laura renovated her ancient Hampshire cottage"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Jenny Oldaker\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Sunday, 08 May 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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Tell us about the house\u2026<\/h2>\n

Our cottage forms part of a 16th-century cruck-frame hall house, which was divided into a small terrace in the 18th century. It is nestled in the heart of Chawton, best known for being home to the Jane Austen museum. My partner and I are addicted to browsing houses for sale online, restricting our searches to include the terms \u2018beams\u2019, \u2018Grade II-listed\u2019 and \u2018in need of refurbishment\u2019. When we purchased the cottage two years ago, it was derelict \u2013 a daunting prospect! We fell in love with its potential.<\/p>\n

Where did you decide to start with the project?<\/h2>\n

Our priority was restoring the building\u2019s beautiful wrought-iron leaded windows, reinstating the lead panes with glass salvaged from my partner\u2019s family home in the Highlands. The uneven glass throws shimmering light against the walls \u2013 it\u2019s magical.<\/p>\n

Have you been able to salvage any original features?<\/h2>\n

We discovered the inglenook behind a more modern fireplace<\/a>. There is even a faint witches\u2019 mark on the beam! We also hand-stripped the beams. They were covered with years of paint and wallpaper, but were too soft for aggressive sandblasting. It was a really messy job, but it was so worth it.<\/p>\n

Tell us how your lovely kitchen came together<\/h2>\n

The units came from Gumtree, and whilst it was a beautifully handmade kitchen, it was made for a much larger space. The biggest challenge was getting the jumble of cupboards and drawers to fit. We had a joiner adapt them, and once we had installed them, painting the units and panelling was transformative! We wanted a pantry<\/a>, which is now tucked away under the stairs and keeps the kitchen relatively clutter free!<\/p>\n

Have there been any surprise discoveries?<\/h2>\n

Underneath the woodworm-riddled floorboards we found a beautiful prayer book from the 1860s, dedicated from one sister to another. It was wonderful to hold something that hadn\u2019t been seen or touched since it was dropped.<\/p>\n

Which places have been useful in sourcing pieces for your project?<\/h2>\n

I browse auctions for a living, so we have found most of our furniture on auction sites such as the-saleroom.com<\/a>. It\u2019s an excellent platform as it sends you email alerts for your saved search terms.<\/p>\n

Which is your favourite room?<\/h2>\n

Probably our extension, which was carefully designed to be sensitive to the original structure, creating a space that looked as though it had been built in the Arts and Crafts period<\/a>. It was important for us to not add anything jarring.<\/p>\n

Which aspect has proved the most challenging?<\/h2>\n

Finding craftspeople who are used to working with traditional materials and old houses!<\/p>\n

What are your tips for anyone starting a renovation of their own?<\/h2>\n