We both spent a long time working in the design industry, and would buy and renovate properties on the side as a creative outlet. It was something we could control in a way we couldn’t necessarily within our day jobs. We began to think about a space where we could bring all our ideas together. We’ve always loved architecture and old buildings, and we loved the idea of finding somewhere we could transform and then hold on to, so that we could shape a slightly different way of life together as a family. It was almost as though the Rectory found us, in the way we came across it, just by chance one day.

What started as a little nosey around a house on a quiet afternoon, early into our maternity leave for our second daughter, turned into a complete change of life for us and our family. We sold everything we had to raise the funds to buy the house and begin rebuilding the roof, as it was in such a bad state, and left our full-time jobs to focus on the project. As funds were limited, we bought a small touring caravan and moved on site with our daughters. The rest of our time was spent putting together a plan to adapt the space to host intimate gatherings. Neither of us had any experience with weddings and, even now, we joke that we have no idea how we ended up doing this, as we were never particularly ‘wedding’ people. But after seeing the house, we knew we needed to host here, and it felt like the perfect fit. We took a risk as we didn’t know whether planning would be granted, but it felt worth the chance, so we went for it.

We were probably quite naive and chose to quietly ignore much of the advice we were given, but our family were incredibly supportive and helped guide us through, from business plans to moral support, as we had never done anything like this before. We always wanted the house to still feel like a home, simple enough to take on the vision of those who found us. We took it back to its bare bones, salvaging everything we could keep and reuse. Our vision was clear: a simple, thoughtful and authentic place in which others could gather with the people they cherish most.

Its simplicity was the thing that captured us the most. The feeling of a space is so important to us, and I think we’ve always been drawn to the slightly less obvious, the more modest when it comes to detail. Despite its condition when we found the house, the bones were there, and we fell in love with the clean lines, the scale of the windows and the light. When you see a property at its worst like that, you feel such a connection, it becomes a living, breathing thing that you want to help give a story to.

We loved that nothing felt pretentious or grand, as we just wouldn’t have been able to work with a building like that.

We are always drawn to authenticity and soul, and this place had that feeling for us.

We wanted to retain the integrity of the building, so we relied heavily on its architecture, and that allowed us to keep everything else simple and light.

The buildings are both original, built in 1820, and had distinct purposes, which is reflected in the structure and the bones. The Rectory is positioned to capture all of the light, and the scale of everything is so considered, as is typical of Georgian architecture. It was a lived-in home and was built to welcome guests.

The Coach House is smaller, darker and more modest, with exposed beams, and most of the rooms were not meant for living; they were used as stores and spaces for the working staff and animals.

We see them as two sides of the same coin, different in the way they look. However, the story of the buildings becomes about the people within them, and when the same hands are holding and guiding them, they feel connected. Both spaces reflect us. They feel similar in that they are simple and grounded, with pieces we have collected over time, just slightly different sides of our personality to suit their purpose.

We love to travel and are currently in the process of buying a small olive farm in Italy. So much of our inspiration comes from travel, other cultures and the natural world. We fully appreciate how a space can completely transform how you feel, and we are drawn to inspiration that evokes a calm and authentic approach, creating places to truly relax in. We both worked as creatives, so understand a styled aesthetic and are quite detail orientated. However, we are not fashion or design led in our approach and are not inspired by trends. We host with meaning and authenticity, and that will always come above all else.

This is hugely important to us, it’s always these elements that capture us first and probably explains why we have only ever bought renovation projects. The more exposed a building is, the more it appeals to us, and its original materials are part of a story. It’s a privilege to have these bones to layer onto. Saying that, we’ve never felt drawn to recreate history in the styling. We have received lots of lovely compliments when it comes to the way the Rectory is styled, as it is much more simplistic than would necessarily be expected in this style of home.

As people, we are very laid back and prefer a calm space over anything that feels too busy. If a room feels staged, it doesn’t feel authentic, so our spaces are exactly as we use them, filled only with the things we love. Our palettes are simple and we like spaces to flow naturally, so this retains a sense of calm for us. We want both ourselves and our guests to feel comfortable and at ease in our surroundings, so that they feel welcomed and not afraid to use what is here.

We source the things that we love and feel drawn to, and we’ve learnt that it simply takes time to gather the kinds of pieces we truly connect with. We’ll always lean towards natural materials, earthy palettes and simple forms, and have a real appreciation for anything that has been made by hand. Most of the things in our home are used and have been sourced second-hand, via markets, online auctions or car boot sales. However, when we do buy new, we are very considered in our choices and invest in pieces we know will live with us for a long time to come, rather than following trends.

We’ve tried to approach the spaces in a way that gives us a clear boundary between the two, so that we can retain our privacy and ensure our guests don’t feel our presence when they are here. The balance of work and personal life, when everything is in one location, can be tricky, and work days often roll into all hours of the day and week. Over time, we have become very protective of family time, closing down entirely when we can and working our calendar around these moments to ensure a more comfortable balance. We are very aware of how lucky we are to be able to do this, and after a long time of working in studios, pulling all-nighters and commuting, we’re so grateful to be able to combine living and working here.

We genuinely love all of the seasons we host in, however spring is our favourite. When you are surrounded by nature, you really notice and appreciate the seasons, and it always feels so satisfying to see everything coming back to life. We love the longer days, the warmth and the opportunity to be outside.

For us, home will always be about our family and how our space helps to connect us to one another in the way we live day to day, giving us small moments that we’ll always remember. This has been more than a home to us; it has given us the opportunity for a way of life that feeds our souls and helps us to grow together. It has been a place where we can truly express ourselves, there’s a sense of safety here that we all feel when we come home.

We hope that the Rectory feels like home to our guests, rather than a venue, and for those that gather here, we want them to leave feeling as connected to the soul of our home in the same way we do.