By fully renovating some rooms and giving others temporary makeovers, all in a classic colour palette, Claire Appleton created a chic home with scope for a future extension
Timeless upgrade
Having grown up in the village of Cowling in North Yorkshire, Claire Appleton had always admired ‘the house on the hill’ but never imagined she would live there one day. Claire and husband Matthew were midway through updating their previous new-build house when they first spotted that the property, which was built for the daughter of the Mill House owners who lived further up the hill, was for sale. ‘It had been on the market for two years and was out of our price range, but I kept looking at it,’ says Claire. ‘With three grownup children at home, we fancied an older property with more space and a big driveway.’
NOT RUN OF THE MILL
Finally, Claire arranged a viewing and was smitten with the spacious rooms and quirky period features. ‘The unusual round windows in the living room and bedroom above – details that were replicated from the original Mill House – were particularly striking,’ she says. ‘And it had so much potential to extend.’
Unfortunately, the couple were outbid, but a few months later the sale fell though. So, they quickly sold their house, and their original offer was accepted. Although the property hadn’t been updated for around 20 years, Claire and Matthew were up for the challenge. ‘I’m no stranger to renovating houses as this is my fifth doer-upper,’ says Claire. ‘Having worked as a kitchen designer, I’ve always done my own design work and have helped friends and family with their projects too.’
Keen to restore the house to its former glory, Claire and Matthew’s vision was for a modern classic style, with lots of panelling and natural elements. ‘We played around with colour more in the last house, but I love neutrals and always go back to them,’ says Claire. ‘Matthew would have purples and yellows everywhere if it was up to him, but luckily he’s let me run with my ideas!’
TIME TO PRIORITISE
Initially, the couple prioritised urgent repairs to the roof and focused on the children’s bedrooms wh
