SHEPHERD'S DELIGHT

A renovated sheep shed provides an idyllic Christmas getaway for Helen Westgarth and her extended family

- SARA BIRD

Living room

This is a grown up space and using wallpaper is a nod to the glamour of a high end hotel bar. Jules wallpaper, Thibaut. Walls painted in Mirin, Zoffany. Grey sofa in Delta by Linwood, Authentic Furniture. Terracotta sofas, covered in Birkett in Tangerine, Designers Guild

Hall

The stairway in the old part of the house links the living areas and bedrooms. Walls painted in Field Mushroom, Sanderson. Joinery painted in Bone Black, Zoffany. Carpet, Crucial Trading. Hall console, Be Pure Home from Niche

AT HOME WITH

Owners Helen Westgarth, a financial controller for hair and beauty company, Saks, and husband Tim, a farmer. They have two sons, Harry, 10 and Jack, six. They bought the barn in 2017. House A five-bedroom Grade II-listed sheep shed dating back to 1758.

Gathering extended family for Christmas can be a challenge but that’s not an issue for Helen and Tim Westgarth. Their spacious holiday home, which provides rental income during the year, is also where family and friends flock for special occasions.

The barn is a former shearing shed that dates back to 1758. ‘We didn’t buy it through an estate agent; it actually came to us through the farming community,’ Helen says. ‘On first viewing, we weren’t sure if we could make it work. We could see the space that would become the living room and dining room but it was listed and we weren’t sure if we’d be able to extend.’ Its great location and views of the Yorkshire Dales made it worth the risk.