YORKSHIRE HOUSE
Faced with a lacklustre barn conversion, Marisa Lumley-Holmes maximised its good bones and rustic finishes to transform it into a unique modern home that’s bursting with style and inspiration
After living in a new-build house, the prospect of reimagining a converted barn with all its character and potential gave Marisa Lumley-Holmes and her husband Chris Shaw a wonderful challenge. ‘We were definitely on the lookout for a project to put our own stamp and style on,’ says Marisa, an interior designer. ‘And this place had been renovated in the 1990s but hadn’t really been maintained since then, so needed more work than we anticipated.’
Although they kept much of the layout of the house as it was, the kitchen was in a building attached to the main property. It made sense to knock through to this area and alter the size of the downstairs bathroom to create one large open-plan kitchen/diner/living room. The back of the space was then opened up and bifold doors were fitted to let more light flood in. ‘It was a lot of work, but worth it in the end to ensure we created a home that worked exactly as we wanted it to,’ says Marisa.
They then turned their attention to the kitchen area, which needed insulation, re-roofing, new windows and new doors. The cabinetry was chosen from York Vale Kitchens, a local company that was able to build it to the couple’s own specification and within their budget. ‘The plan was to make the best use of the available space and I think we have done that, as now we spend most of our time here,’ Marisa says.
She designed the storage and layout to suit exactly what they needed, and the wooden units were hand-painted so that the colour could be changed whenever they want. ‘The finishing touch was the huge Carrara marble island, which is a thing of beauty – it’s the focus of the whole room,’ says Marisa.
For such a large space, Marisa and Chris chose a neutral scheme, which works tonally with the beams and brickwork. ‘The soft greys and marble worktops are timeless so we won’t tire of it any time soon,’ says Marisa. ‘And I get so many lovely comments when I post our kitchen on Instagram, which is always a welcome confidence boost.’
AT HOME WITH
OWNERS Marisa Lumley-Holmes lives here with her husband Chris Shaw.
HOUSE The converted barn, built in the 1800s, comprises a living room, office, kitchen-diner/living area, cloakroom, four bedrooms (one en suite) and bathroom
Throughout the house, Marisa opted for a simple palette. ‘As much as I like to use colour in interiors, I also love introducin
