25 Beautiful Homes

Before Gayle and Richard Wailes bought their elegant townhouse, family life was far from ideal. Gayle and the couple’s two children, Eddie, now 20, and Claudia, 17, were based in Cambridgeshire while Richard was working in London for most of the week

Rut Káradóttir was won over by the charm of this period house in northern Iceland. Not only was it in a small, friendly community with a thriving arts scene, but it was also set in the midst of beautiful countryside. The twist, however, was that Rut

Stina and Ruben Pariente Gromark are unquestionably a global couple. Stina is originally from Sweden and Ruben grew up in Egypt, Poland and France. After graduating from London’s Central St Martins, they spent much of their time living in Sweden and

Miranda Davies and her husband were living in a Victorian townhouse in southwest London when the house next door came up for sale. The couple debated whether or not to buy the property. ‘We knew that if we didn’t, someone else would develop it so we

After buying an unremarkable seaside Sixties bungalow on the West Sussex coast that was in need of serious TLC, Charlotte and Leigh Bowen were confident they could turn it into a coastal home packed with style. ‘We wanted a home here as it’s a specia

Set in a valley in the beautiful Dorset countryside is the Georgian-style home of Lisa and Richard Dennis and their three children. The couple have completely rebuilt their home stone by stone, recycling as much as possible along the way. ‘We fell in

Stunning vistas, great surf and a desire to raise a family in a quieter place led café owners Dave and Emily Lynas to a somewhat unloved detached Thirties house overlooking a rugged stretch of coastline in Northern Ireland. The couple had both grown

Looking around Ruth Culhane’s beautiful Victorian villa, there is something interesting and colourful at every turn. With her penchant for bold colours, vibrant wallpapers and her resourceful purchasing prowess, she has created a unique family home.

Interiors blogger and Instagram influencer Wendy Simpson and her husband Dean had no intention of moving until they spotted a farmhouse for sale on an estate agent’s website five years ago. ‘We were intrigued, as having lived in this area for 11 year

Leanne and Calum Watt love the lifestyle in Aberdeen, once described as the happiest place in Scotland. Having outgrown their three-bedroom semi, the couple wanted a new home nearby with plenty of character. So when they spotted a rundown 100-year-ol

Sam and Guy Dawson have lived a back and forth life together for the past 14 years. Guy’s work as a non-executive director means being based in London, and Sam had ties to Hove where she lived with her children, Holly and Charlie, now 22 and 20. When

Though the first thing you notice may be the dramatic colour, if there is one thread running through Sarah Ord’s home – it is the concept of family. Almost every treasure within its walls has a familial connection, from the hatboxes owned by her grea

After waiting 17 years for a plot to become available, Sally and Derek Frost were finally able to buy the land on which to build their dream home. ‘It was the location that really attracted me, which is why we waited so long,’ says Sally. ‘The house

Like many London buyers, Lizzy and Ricky Stringer could only step up the property ladder by taking on a project. Having already moved the bathroom upstairs and created a bigger kitchen in their previous home, they were keen to renovate again on a lar

Trapped in an Eighties time warp’ is how Alison Anderson describes the listed Arts and Crafts house in Hertfordshire that she bought with her husband, Tom, 10 years ago. ‘We’d just renovated a house nearby and weren’t planning on moving, but I’d beco

Native New Yorker Peter Stromberg is no stranger to life’s challenges and is used to adapting to changing circumstances. ‘I came to the UK to open the London office for my firm in 2001. I thought it was for a couple of years but, 17 years later, I’m

Newly married in 2017, Saffron Hodgson and her husband Nick, visited Rajasthan for their honeymoon. ‘I love to travel and have been to a lot of places but we were totally blown away by the beauty of the scenery and the colourful saris and the fabrics

With two grown-up daughters, and grandparents and friends constantly coming to stay, Tomi Parkkonen and Anna Piiroinen were crowded out of their home in the pretty town of Hanko on Finland’s south coast. But at the far end of their courtyard was a di

The first time Liz and Steve Hudson were asked whether they wanted to buy the grand Edwardian house opposite the cottage where they lived next to Liz’s parents, they had to pass. ‘I’ve known this house all my life and always loved it,’ says Liz, ‘but

The desire to tackle a Victorian house renovation was what pushed Canadians Shauna O’Handley and her husband, Adam Glabay, to sell their London self-build and start another project. ‘There’s a real romance to a period property and we were keen to put

Looking to make a fresh start as a single mother, and on reduced finances, to boot, economic historian Judy Stephenson was on the hunt for a home for herself and her two children, Belle, now 16, and Arthur, 12. This interesting three-bedroom Victoria

When interiors consultant Jessica Pownall and her antiques dealer husband Robbie first saw their present home, they were unconcerned by the lack of period detailing. ‘This house isn’t an architectural masterpiece with interesting features like cornic

Talk about moody spaces. This compact but oh-so-cosy bedroom in Ghent’s 1898 The Post hotel takes the dark decor trend to new heights with a scheme that reflects the property’s 19th century, majestically spired, neo-gothic façade. Let’s start with th

When Georgina and Nigel Salter began mulling over the idea of moving their young family from London to the Suffolk countryside, a 35-acre estate was not at the top of their wish list. ‘I’d originally thought that a house with a couple of acres of lan