'Our cottage is TACTILE & TONAL'

Gemma transformed an 18th-century cottage in Devon into a light-filled, open-plan space, drawing on her roots in the tropics

- NATALIE MILLAR-PARTRIDGE

COME ON IN!

ABOUT ME I'm Gemma Critchley, 39, a jewellery designer (@cabinetjewellery). I live here with my husband Richard, a design consultant, our six-month old daughter Koa and our dog Dayna.

MY HOME An 18th-century bakehouse in Devon, which we bought in August 2017.

WHEN WE MOVED IN The cottage had a dark wood-stained ceiling and lots of old carpeting which were the first things that we removed. We exposed any wooden flooring that was hidden underneath.

AND NOW We have a light-filled space with pale-wood floorboards, woollen rugs to add texture and a fresh-looking white ceiling.

STYLE TIP Take the time to finish a space well by adding in details, such as caulking to fill gaps.

My husband Richard and I spent three years considerately transforming our old bakehouse cottage into a lovely welcoming light-filled family home,' says Gemma.

'It's a kaleidoscope of eras and home to collectibles from different cultures, drawing inspiration from our rural surroundings and my roots in the Cayman Islands. We've created an eclectic mix of 17th and 18th-century lithographs, abstract prints, Berber rugs and Moroccan silks, combined with modern and vintage finds.

Love at first sight

Our cottage sits in the heart of a beautiful rural village, overlooking the River Exe. We had an immediate love for the area and being able to just step out into nature. Bakehouse Cottage - once the original bakehouse to a large estate - was converted into a separate dwelling in the Sixties. Its courtyards and passageways sparked our imagination for opportunities for inside-outside living.