The painstaking restoration of this Italianate villa has resulted in a home that exudes warmth and character – and is ready for the next hundred years
FEATURE RACHEL LEEDHAM PHOTOGRAPHY RACHAEL SMITH
Situated in a small village on the border between Suffolk and Essex, this Victorian former rectory stands on the site of a 16th-century parsonage and is still partially surrounded by a moat dating back to that time. Its current owners, Alison and James Nicholls, have spent the last two years nurturing the Italianate style building back to life. “It was quite an austere house and James, who grew up in this village, remembers being scared of it as a child,” recounts Alison. “Back then, it was owned by a retired colonel and rumour had it that he would shoot anyone who entered the grounds. James had to deliver the papers there and he was terrified!”
The house fell into disrepair until it was renovated by a property developer in 2009, although fundamental matters such as the heating system were at that point overlooked. “Like so many old houses, this one was cold and draughty,” Alison confirms, adding, “We started off believing we would approach the house with a light touch but the project ended up being extensive, to put it mildly.”
Working with the couple from the outset was interior designer Lindsey Rendall of Rendall & Wright, who had helped the pair on two previous projects, including their former home, a new-build house in a village nearby. “Lindsey understood our need for this to be a true family home,” says Alison. “We live here with our 17-year-old daughter, as well as our two dogs and two cats, but my three older daughters and their families are regular visitors, so the house had to be able to expand from three to 12 at the drop of a hat.”
Thanks to the experienced and skilled local craftsmen that were engaged to update it, every piece of the building’s history has been painstakingly restored or reinstated, from fireplaces to architraves to plaster ceiling roses. To minimise the draughts, the windows have all been carefully repaired and refitted, and underfloor heating has been laid throughout the ground level as well as in the principal en-suite bathroom on the floor above. “The idea was to future-proof the house, and make sure it is ready for the next 100 years,” explains Alison.
Lindsey and Alison were mindful to repurpose as much of the family’s exis
