The Bigger Picture

When Nicole Phillips and her husband Richard found they were expecting their first child, it was time to upsize their home.

- Pat Garratt

When Nicole Phillips was pregnant with her first child, Elizabeth, now 17, the nesting instinct quickly kicked in. ‘My husband Richard and I realised that we needed a bigger house and soon discovered that his boss was selling his rental property,’ explains Nicole. ‘We went along for a viewing and although the cottage was picturesque, tucked away in a pretty West Sussex village, the interior was a little tired. But when I saw the large kitchen with its stunning range cooker, I thought, “This is it!”’