Georgian Farm Cottage
Years in the planning, Laura Padovani’s rural idyll finally became reality when she found the perfect house and bought it on the spot
THE STORY
OWNER Laura Padovani, who works for a bank in London, lives here with her cockapoo Charlie (pictured overleaf) and cavalier King Charles spaniel, Poppy
PROPERTY A three-bedroom, semi-detached cottage, near Tonbridge, Kent. Originally part of a farm, the front part of the unlisted house was built in the 1800s, with a barn (now the kitchen) added to the rear in around 1890
WHAT SHE DID Laura had a new boiler installed and replaced damaged floors. The house was rewired and the bathroom and downstairs cloakroom upgraded. Laura also recently added an orangery extension
Having lived her whole life in cities, it turns out that Laura Padovani is a country girl at heart. ‘Since I first moved to the UK 24 years ago, I have dreamed of living in the countryside,’ says Argentinian-born Laura. ‘I even kept a scrapbook filled with pictures and ideas, called “My house in the country” and took it everywhere with me; It made me happy just to think about it.’
In 2019, Laura was living in London, and travelling worldwide for work, but October that year marked a turning point. A health scare, followed by a lifestyle change, prompted her to take stock. ‘What is life about? I asked myself, and I decided I would buy that house in the country,’ she says. Just five minutes into her only viewing of a cottage in Kent, Laura had offered the asking price.
‘The estate agent thought I was mad to buy the first house I saw,’ she recalls, ‘but I knew I had found my dream home. It felt a little sad because it hadn’t been lived in for more than a decade but when I saw the amazing kitchen with its pristine cabinets and island, my decision was made.’
Laura picked up the keys in February 2020, a month before the UK went into its first Covid lockdown. Since it was a second home, Laura wasn’t allowed to visit, but masterminded the renovations remotely from London, armed with her trusty scrapbook. The rooms have come together beautifully despite the challenges of renovating during a pandemic. In fact, the results are so successful that her cottage won Period Living’s Home of the Year Award 2023.
‘I wanted to make something positive out of the Covid lockdown,’ says Laura. ‘This house was a happy project, not just for me but also for pe
