OXFORDSHIRE HOUSE
Louise and Paul Temple have created a beautifully thought out haven in the Oxfordshire countryside, full of calm colour and luxurious flourishes
Aseating desire for amore rural way of life played akey role in Louise and Paul Temple’s decision to move from London in 2018. ‘I’d grown up in asmall village in Kent, only moving to London after I married Paul,’ says Louise.
‘I was keen to put down roots, feel part of acommunity and have land for chickens and pigs, and grow my own veg.’
They narrowed their search to the Thames-side villages around Oxfordshire. ‘It seemed the perfect compromise,’ recalls Louise, ‘with London only an hour away by train and some of the prettiest countryside we’d seen. We viewed some wonderful old higgledy-piggledy houses, but Isoon realised Iwanted to replicate the Edwardian feel of our London home, with high ceilings and spacious rooms. The day we eventually viewed this property we had already sold our London home. Iwas heavily pregnant, and we were desperate to find somewhere.’
The property felt comfortable the minute they walked in. The original part of the house was Edwardian with two 1980s extensions, one on either side. The grounds were mature, with paths weaving through conifers and silver birch trees. ‘It was the space I craved, and with only ashort walk to the station, the Thames and the vibrant local village.
‘It’s not until you live somewhere that you learn what works and what doesn’t. The extensions were freezing and disassociated from the rest of the house, the kitchen was long and thin with the breakfast and preparation areas at opposite ends –completely impractical with young children –and the lighting and heating systems were a labyrinth of confusion.’ Within the year, the couple had enlisted architect Shaun Tanner from STL Architecture, and plans were in place to rework the ground floor.
It was at this time that interior designer Jo Calver from Isla James Interiors joined the project. ‘There were so many decisions to be made, I felt overwhelmed,’ recalls Louise. ‘Jo tweaked the plans into more workable designs that maxed out the flow of each space, adding wonderful design flourishes along the way.’
The original part of the house was extended by 2.5 metres, to level with the side extensions while creating abigger family room, arectangular open-plan kitchen with adining and area, plus aconnecting playroom. ‘The renovation was hellish; we lived in the upstairs of the house and as the work went on, more and more costly issues arose –rotten foundations that needed replacing and damp in structural walls, to name but
