Open​​​​​​​ Sesame

What began as the owners’ simple desire for an updated kitchen turned into a full-scale refurbishment, complete with a spacious new layout, for this characterful Georgian home.

- Jennifer Goulding 

"You would never know that this house was originally part of a brewery. From the outside, it looks like a sweet, flat fronted Georgian doll’s house,” says Jessie Sunderland of the home she shares with her husband, Allan, situated in one of the pretty streets surrounding Winchester “You Cathedral. The couple originally used the house as a pied-à-terre, but in 2015 they decided to sell their large home in the country and move here. This soon revealed the building’s shortcomings, so Jessie and Allan turned to interior designer Stephanie Dunning to transform it into something both practical and beautiful. We spoke to Jessie to find out more.

What attracted you to the property? 

The combination of the location and the quirky architecture was irresistible. I like the feeling of living in an area that is rich with history and we’re just two minutes’ walk from the high street, which is wonderfully vibrant and full of independent shops.

In what way was the house problematic?