‘We created a cosy COUNTRY COTTAGE'

Faced with a huge renovation task, Carole transformed her house into a warm and welcoming home

- Laurie Davidson

My husband, Rob, and I didn’t have to travel far when we moved,’ says Carole. ‘We lived in a village two miles up the road. We were looking for a renovation project after our children Max, Molly and Lily left for university, and this was perfect.

‘There were patterned carpets, a pink bathroom, lots of woodchip and layers of gloss paint. There was a hatch in the living room and the kitchen was really old. It needed a lot of work. We think it was built in the 1870s and the only redeeming features were the beams downstairs.