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Fortunately, Henry \u2013 who was previously design director at stylish reproduction and antiques specialist Jamb, before setting up his own design business last year \u2013 had the vision to see what the house could be and the couple snapped it up. \u2018I just felt we had a real opportunity to make it what we wanted,\u2019 says Henry. \u2018When we looked at previous houses, we were always discussing ripping out kitchens and bathrooms which were perfectly good but just not our taste and that always seemed so wasteful, but we had none of that guilt here.\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

It took a year to get the house as they wanted it, during which time the couple, who were expecting their first child, stayed with Sophie\u2019s parents. This, says Henry, allowed them to \u2018rather grandly move in when it was all painted and carpeted\u2019, and ready for Henry\u2019s favourite bit: the dressing of rooms, using a very personal collection of art and antiques. This collection of pieces \u2013 some inherited, some bought from antiques shops or at auction \u2013 had been gathered for many years and continues to be added to as space permits.<\/span><\/p>\n

To allow the contents to shine, most of the rooms are painted in muted neutrals, with a light and airy kitchen-diner, and a hallway where the original stained glass and tiled floor are the stars of the show. Bedrooms are a soothing duck-egg blue, providing the perfect backdrop for some lighter pieces of antique furniture and textiles in creams and ecrus. In the living room, home to some heavier brown furniture and many gilt-framed paintings, Henry has painted it a strong dark blue; his favourite trick for making rooms with a lot of antique furniture feel more modern.<\/span><\/p>\n