INSPIRING
Making the most of its grand proportions and original details, the owners of this elegant Victorian terrace have brought it thoroughly up to date to create a family home that’s full of comfort, character and charm
HOME PROFILE
WHO LIVES HERE Alison Elliott, an architect, her husband James Sampson, a doctor, and their three-year-old daughter Nina
THE PROPERTY A six-bedroom, Grade II-listed, late-Victorian terrace in a village near Hexham, Northumberland
HALLWAY
Opposite High ceilings, generous proportions and a wealth of original features create a sense of grandeur. Connolly Vintage Oak parquet flooring, Broadleaf Timber
DINING ROOM
This page The sage green on the walls complements the mid-century teak dining set Alison found on Ebay. ‘The table fits the space perfectly and is extendable, so very practical,’ she says. Walls in Bancha, Farrow & Ball. Tablecloth, Zara Home. Pendant lampshade, Le Crazy Horse on Etsy
House Beautiful MARCH 2024 79
Beautiful period features and a tranquil location drew Alison Elliott and her husband James Sampson to their unusual Victorian house in the heart of the Northumberland countryside. Originally from County Monaghan, the couple met while working in Belfast and relocated to the north of England for work a few years later.
‘We’d been living in a rented, two-bedroom maisonette near the east coast,’ Alison recalls, ‘but were keen to start a family and buy our first property together. Having grown up in rural areas, we wanted to raise our children in a similar way, surrounded by nature and the simple pleasures. So we were on the lookout for a characterful period property with good connections to the city centre, as we both had jobs in Newcastle.’ They found exactly what they were looking for in a quiet countryside village a 20-minute drive from Newcastle.
‘Ours is one of eight houses in a Victorian terrace that’s striking because it’s in secluded woodland,’ explains Alison. ‘I remember thinking it looked quite out of place and would be more at home in a city suburb. We’ve since discovered it was built by a wealthy woman who’d been advised by doctors to move to the country for health reasons. She didn’t want to miss out on the glamour of high-class society, so decided to recreate a little slice of the city in the form of a row of grand townhouses – the idea being that family and friends could come and visit, along with their staff, and expect the same level of comfort they were used to.’
This explains why the house originally had a kitchen and staff quarters on the lower-ground floor. There was a formal drawing room and dining room on the ground floor, and the bedrooms were arranged over the upper two levels. When the couple found it, the layout w
