In The Style Of Queen Anne

Serena Spencer-Jones is an antenatal teacher and a Berkshire doula, running nct classes in the area. She is also a radio presenter and a creative writer. A retired interior designer, she loves Baroque and Georgian architecture, so bought a house, knocked it down and built it back up again in Queen Anne style…

- Sarah Rodi

Serena Spencer-Jones and her husband bought a dilapidated house in 2002, knocked it down and spent 18 months building it back up again. “When we bought the house, it seemed like the perfect and peaceful spot near the Thames, with high red-brick walls surrounding the quarter-acre plot,” she says. “Originally, two hundred years ago or more, the plot was the fruit and vegetable garden for a grand river-fronted property, benefitting from a South-West aspect for growing produce. We both love Baroque and Georgian architecture, so we elegantly rebuilt it in the style of Queen Anne.”

The house is beautiful; with classic symmetry and light, but with a nod to modernity.

“We love living on the border of Berkshire and Buckinghamshire – we have everything on our doorstep: libraries, stations, shops, vibrant communities, sports facilities... the list goes on,” she says. “There’s also some amazing dog walks for our Lakeland-Border terrier, Rapha.”

Serena used to be an interior designer, running her own business, so it’s no surprise she enjoyed the build and decorating the house afterwards. She can sew and can use artisan painting techniques, which has all come in handy. “I did the sourcing of all the furniture, soft furnishings and accessories myself,” she says. “I particularly loved going to auctions; especially the one in Bourne End and Lots Road Auction House in Chelsea. I’m quite frugal – I don’t like paying through the nose for things. For example, I got this cut-glass green vase in a second-hand shop. These things make me happy!

“Even now, I often change things about. I read magazines, take an interest in other people’s homes and keep updating things.”