History Lesson

When Lara Fawcett and her husband James inherited his childhood home, their biggest challenge was to preserve its past while giving it a more modern look

- Heather Dixon

When Lara and James Fawcett moved into their period home on the outskirts of Leeds, they were faced with a major challenge. Cufforth House had been in James’s family for generations, so finding a balance between preserving the integrity of the property while making their own mark was their main concern. ‘We wanted to respect the history of the house, which held such special memories for my husband and his parents,’ says Lara, ‘but we also wanted to make some changes that showed our individual style and ideas.’