Turning a centuries-old house into the perfect home meant striking a balance between nostalgia and practical living for Izzy and Will Dennis
FEATURE SARA EMSLIE
HOME TRUTHS
THE PROPERTY Classic country house with parts dating back to 1570, remodelled in the 18th century
ROOMS Two sitting rooms, dining room, kitchen/breakfast room, utility room, study, 10 bedrooms, four bathrooms
LOCATION Wiltshire
SITTING ROOM
The modern painting, which provides a refreshing contrast to the antiques, was bought at a Royal Academy student’s end of year exhibition.
DINING AREA
The table was left by Will’s parents and is complemented by country-style chairs.
When Izzy and Will moved into their new home, there were an unexpected number of fixtures left by the previous owners. Antique furniture filled the grand entrance hall and decades-old Colefax and Fowler wallpapers adorned the walls of bedrooms. Too beautiful to be torn down and worthy of being labelled archival or vintage at the very least, Izzy decided the paper should stay, as should the antiques, some of which had graced the panelled hallway since the 1970s. Will’s affinity to these in particular was strong, not surprisingly, as the house was in fact his former childhood home. ‘Will’s parents moved here in 1979, and he and his three older sisters grew up in the house,’ says Izzy. When his parents retired to the Isle of Wight, the newly married Will and Izzy took responsibility for the adjoining farm and moved into the house.
Taking charge of a decorative time warp has been inspiring, albeit daunting. ‘I found stashes of fabric and samples from Will’s mum’s initial redecoration in the early 1980s,’ she says. ‘It really is amazing to see what she was thinking about when she chose her schemes for the house, and I try to draw my own ideas from what has been here before.’
The house is referenced on maps dating as far back as the 1570s. The central part is believed to have been remodelled in the late 18th century, with the wings added later. ‘For the first few years we were overwhelmed by the size of it,’ says Izzy. She describes the arduous task of restoring and refurbishing as many of the existing curtains as possible, plus organising the making of replacements, as a mammoth undertaking in itself. ‘We found old curtains from Will’s grandparents’ house in a cupboard, all in incredible fabric, and we used some of these to make blinds
