Gorgeous Home Guide

Step inside this Cambridgeshire new build owned by Anne Bannell and husband Steve, which they share with their two children. It was the allure of more space that first attracted Anne and Steve to sell their treasured family home and relocate. When they came across a 1960s bungalow to buy, it seemed like a good option as it’s surrounded by historic countryside, and also just a 20-minute drive from Cambridge, where the couple both work. ‘The position of the bungalow counted for far more than its size or condition,’ says Anne, who owns gift and home accessories shop Breeze, and had plans for some drastic changes.

Once the sale had gone through, the couple contacted architects Cowper Griffith, who have a reputation of designing exciting modern buildings. Anne and Steve gave them a brief to create a modern and comfy home that was clutter free and the architects firm set about redesigning the space. ‘They recommended we demolish the bungalow completely and start from scratch,’ says Anne. After a few meetings all were agreed on a design for a new four-bedroom house, which took seven months to build.

Once the structure was created, the couple could concentrate on the décor. Moving home encouraged Anne and Steve to go for a more contemporary style. ‘Our previous cottage had floral upholstery, but we wanted something a little more streamlined here,’ says Anne. ‘We couldn’t afford to get rid of all the furniture at once, so we replaced it over three years.’

For the dining room, kitchen, family/breakfast room and master bedroom  a unifying blue colour theme is used throughout. The wallpaper in the dining room came from Colefax and Fowler, while the upholstered dining chairs in faux linen came from Dwell.

The curtains in the family/breakfast room (above) are Taraz Platinum fabric from Designers Guild, while Steve sourced the cabinetry for the kitchen on the internet to help stick within the budget. It came from With Knobs On.

Again, touches of the blue colour scheme were used in the master bedroom (above). The walnut headboard is a subtle way of separating the bedroom from its en suite.

For the guest bedroom (below) and living room (top), Anne chose warm yellow, tangerine and gold colourways. Anne customised the simple waffle bedcover in the guest bedroom with a gold satin trim. For similar, try Sevilla Leaf from Designers Guild.

Anne used her decorative flair to give the guest room’s en suite an amazing wall mosaic. ‘I took my cue from the symbolist painter Gustav Klimt,’ says Anne. ‘I drew the design onto the walls, broke the tiles and gradually filled the surface. It was really quite tricky, but satisfying to see the results .’

Words adapted from: Erica Miller Photos: Robert Sanderson

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Emily Peck, Editor

View all posts by Emily Peck, Editor

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