With its generously proportioned lateral layout and abundance of light, this home is imbued with all the charm of a country house while being moments from the bustle of chic Wimbledon Village
FEATURE AMANDA HARLING PHOTOGRAPHY ANDREAS VON EINSIEDEL
Tucked away down a quiet, no-through lane in Wimbledon Village, Lucy and Mark Woodruff’s home is hidden from the outside world by a brick wall and a screen of espaliered trees. “Being totally private, the garden is ideal for entertaining. During the summer months whenever the weather looks promising, we ask friends and family over for drinks on the front lawn before serving lunch on the terrace at the rear of the house,” Lucy says. “If there’s a sudden shower, we take shelter in the conservatory or the old stable next to it, which we’ve turned into a rustic dining area. The peace, privacy and space make it feel as though we are living in the country – French windows or doors open onto the garden from all the main rooms and to have that airy, relaxed way of life is fairly unusual in London. We’ve been here for nearly 20 years and, as our three children have now left home, we do talk about downsizing, but actually doing it is another matter.”
Lucy recalls that she and Mark had been planning to move to the country when an estate agent acquaintance called her to say that a property that might be of interest was coming up for sale. “The agent had remembered me saying that this particular road was the only one in Wimbledon which would keep us here,” she explains. “We came to see the house and realised immediately that it was a spacious house with an unusually open, lateral layout, and there was plenty of scope for improvement. Mark has been in the property business all his working life, so finding such a gem with a private garden in a quiet street, and enough space for us to co-exist with our teenage children and their friends was an opportunity we couldn’t resist. Without hesitating, we bought it and moved in soon after, living in the house for a year before embarking on the extensive renovations. I was 20 when Mark and I renovated our first flat and we still share the same enthusiasm for creating homes that are welcoming and visually interesting. Though I initially worked in fashion, I moved into interiors before opening a country lifestyle shop in nearby Raynes Park, selling mostly British merchandise with a strong emphasis on good design. I’d built up a useful address book of tradespeople, craftsmen and builders, which helped enormously when we started on thi
