Converted Coach House - All Is Calm

A tasteful combination of statement lighting, sumptuous fabrics and glimmering wallpapers envelop this beautiful home with peace, elegance and charm

- Andree Frieze

After taking on an early-Victorian coach house near Sherborne, Dorset, that had been converted into flats, Laura and Patrick Butler-Madden set about restoring its original proportions. Here, Laura shares how they embraced its singular character yet gave it an aesthetic that is distinctly their own.

What attracted you to this property?

Patrick went to school in Dorset and I grew up here, so we had always thought about moving to this part of the world. However, finding this place happened in a rather serendipitous fashion. We had been living in London, developing property, but with the change in the tax situation, we decided to refocus on our other careers, Patrick as a photographer and me as a design and lifestyle blogger. I am always scouring property websites and I spotted this unique building that was in need of love. It had been split into flats, divided up among members of the same family, and had not been updated since the 1970s.