Surrey Homes | SH21 | July 2016 | Interiors supplement inside
The lifestyle magazine for Surrey - Interiors Supplement, Fabulous Fashion, Delicious Dishes
The lifestyle magazine for Surrey - Interiors Supplement, Fabulous Fashion, Delicious Dishes
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Above: The play room and snug shares the woodburner with the ‘adults’ living room nextdoor. Hidden cupboards, built by Martine and Andrew’s carpenter,<br />
Greg, on either side of the flat screen television, help to keep things tidy while the bright carpet and Union Jack storage trunk add colour and a sense of fun<br />
by a silver-shaded Kartell Bourgie table lamp. Max’s room<br />
is suitably grown up, tastefully reflecting his interests. On<br />
one wall framed above his pine chest of drawers is one of<br />
Ben Ainslie’s sailing caps and, on the other, above the bed,<br />
flanking the window, are two action prints of downhill<br />
racers. At the foot of the bed is an ancient pine chest. The<br />
headboard is in Design Forum fabric and the smart desk<br />
is Ikea. Oli’s room is above the kitchen extension, down a<br />
corridor off which opens a roof terrace. Here too, we find<br />
evidence of his budding interest in downhill – a framed<br />
English Alpine Championships poster. Here Greg Buchan<br />
has again woven his magic and created great chalet-style<br />
oak bunk beds. And how many eight-year-olds have their<br />
own elegant marble-lined bathroom?<br />
“There was considerable discussion as to whether this<br />
should be the guest room or Oli’s room,” says Martine<br />
“but in the end Andrew won the day and Oli’s it is.”<br />
And of course, he’s a very lucky young man. Indeed,<br />
you might say that they are a very lucky family to have<br />
had access to such a wealth of stunning sources for their<br />
renovation and, of course, you’d be right. But to put their<br />
success down merely to ease of access is like dismissing the<br />
joy of the Sistine Chapel just because Micheangelo already<br />
had a paintbox. It’s not merely access to the right raw<br />
materials that’s key in any project but the vision you<br />
bring to their use.<br />
And it’s because of this vision that they are really lucky.<br />
But perhaps, when it comes to beating serious odds, of<br />
having that little white ball drop lazily into red 19, not<br />
quite as lucky as their house.<br />
<br />
61 www.wealdentimes.co.uk