See: our spaces section for more inspiring featured homes The combination of the location and the quirky architecture was irresistible. I like the feeling of living in an area that is rich with history and we’re just two minutes’ walk from the high street, which is wonderfully vibrant and full of independent shops.
See some of the world’s best homes – beautiful properties from around the globe
The property
It was perfectly liveable, but quite draughty. The sitting room, which faces north, was always particularly cold and unappealing. Although it has great bones, it is not a large house, just two rooms deep, and it felt quite poky. I am really interested in design, but I rarely seek out the name of a designer. However, I saw a house featured in Homes & Gardens and was so taken with its easy elegance that I decided to look Stephanie up. It turned out she was based in Salisbury, which is just forty minutes away, so it was all very serendipitous.
Living room
The arched area was originally a narrow corridor that led to the front door. Designer Stephanie Dunning took down most of the wall to open up the sitting room and improve the flow of the space.
Dining room
The south-facing kitchen is one of the couple’s favourite rooms. ‘My husband and I are both poets and we like to sit at the table and write. It is particularly lovely in the summer, as the sun warms the room all day long.’
Kitchen
The previous, poorly laid-out scheme has been replaced with this well-considered arrangement of bespoke cabinets and central island unit. Stephanie’s decision to use a glamorous combination of pink, copper and gold warms and offsets the dark-grey stone worktops.
Staircase
As part of Stephanie’s reorganisation of the basement, the space beneath the stairs is used as a practical and stylish open boot room.
Dressing room
Stephanie’s husband is also her project manager. His own company makes all the joinery for her schemes, including the elegant built-in cupboards and island seen here.
Main bedroom
‘The blue-grey color of our bedroom walls is beautiful,’ says the owner. It also ensures the oil painting by a Russian artist, depicting the interior of a dacha, is even more striking.
Main bathroom
Victorian-style geometric floor tiles bring depth and interest to the scheme without compromising the modest space’s restful atmosphere.
Shower room
This renovated basement space is a valuable addition to the house, especially when the couple’s two grown-up sons are staying. Stephanie has cleaned and sealed the brickwork of the unusual ceiling, a legacy of the property’s brewery history.
Attic bedroom
‘Originally, we only had folding beds in the attic because we couldn’t get proper beds up the narrow, winding staircase,’ says the owner. Stephanie’s solution was to make the beds in parts then assemble them in the roof-top rooms. ‘Now the rooms feel like grown-up spaces,’ she says. Photography/ Mel Yates Interior design/Stephanie Dunning
