Character BUILDING

This stone.cottage’s interior is a charming blend of reclaimed 1 materials, natural textures and country colours

- SARA EMSLIE

Equal measures of beauty and practicality create the winning formula for the stone cottage that Stephanie Larkinson and partner Phil now call home. The couple relocated from Berkshire to this part of Wiltshire many years ago, when they bought a four-story townhouse to renovate and live in with Stephanie's elderly mother. When her mother passed away, the couple needed something smaller; but while keen to stay in the area, they were under no illusion that it would be an easy search.

'Off-street parking and a character property with good-sized rooms and a large garden weren't an ideal set of criteria, says Stephanie. 'Most of the interesting properties here line the high street, so there is limited parking. And they are mainly terraced, which means smaller gardens.