THE CALL OF THE NORD

DETAILS

What A Scandi-inspired four-bedroom family home

Where Poppleton, York

Architect Mass Architecture

Bland. Basic. These are not commonly sought-after qualities in a new home, but then Lee Thornley – who recalls this being his first impression of his current abode – wasn’t exactly a typical house hunter. The design entrepreneur’s eye for improvement has always been his calling card: his boutique hotel in southern Spain, Casa La Siesta, was built using salvaged materials, while the interiors brand he founded, Bert & May, was born of a passion for reclaimed Andalusian tiles.

So when he and his partner Phil happened upon an unassuming three-bedroom home on the fringes of York three years ago “with no remarkable architectural details”,