FAMILY VALUES

Marian and Alan Kendall inherited this 16th-century farmhouse and are now telling their own story within its restored walls

- ALICE HUMPHRYS

The irony behind the loving restoration of Marian and Alan Kendall's Grade II listed Norfolk farmhouse is that they never intended to embark on it in the first place. The farmhouse was a bit of a white elephant,' says Marian. 'We inherited it from Alan's father, but we were already happily ensconced in our cosy home on the same estate. When my father died in Australia, we decided to spend my inheritance upgrading the cottage for ourselves.' It was only when an architect arrived that Marian and Alan were challenged to think again. The architect suggested that Marian's inheritance would be far better invested in restoring the graceful Grade II listed farmhouse which had period details and a history dating back to the 1500s.

Marian says it took time to believe him. It was so hard to see how the muddled layouts and random additions could be reworked to make a cohesive whole. The house had started out as a thatched cottage in the 1580s and been added to by a long line of wealthier occupants who built a second floor, and finally a top floor for servants. Some of the extensions were decidedly unsympathetic, including a crumbling conservatory dating back to the 1930s.

The Kendalls found local architects LBR, who worked with interior designer Emma Deterding. With a team in place, the house was gradually reconfigured internally and the muddle of small rooms was replaced with a new footprint of graceful Georgian proportions, period features, fireplaces, panelling, wide doors, lift, high skirtings and a secret door between the dining room and study. To expand the kitchen, a 1960s French window was removed. The new kitchen space is now linked by folding doors to the garden room. 'It became the homely hub, a magnet which draws people together to sit, chat, drink, work and eat, while I cook,' says Marian.