Island life

Jack Rebours and Marc Thompson are no strangers to refurbishment and so when they discovered a run-down house on the Isle of Wight, they set about putting their unique stamp on it

- AMBER BEARD

Imagine opening an old-fashioned doll's house, one room deep, to reveal a central staircase rising three floors, with a room on either side. Enter through the front door of Harold House and you will find the full-sized version - a classic townhouse in the heart of old Cowes that has been beautifully restored by Jack Rebours and Marc Thompson.

The couple had worked together in India, training crew for a cruise line, then settled in London before deciding they wanted a 'lifestyle move' somewhere that would anchor them to a less frantic life after almost constant travelling. 'We both had a special love of Cowes through friends who lived here,' Marc explains. 'As we explored the area more, we knew this was the ideal place for us to live; a balance of a picturesque coastal village combined with great accessibility for travel connections to London and beyond.'

The pair moved to the island and bought and completely renovated a previous house in Cowes. Then Harold House came up for sale. 'We knew that this was the project we'd been looking for,' says Marc. 'It had been a crew house for local chefs and because it was in dire need of renovation, it was within our budget, which would mean we had the finances to make our mark on the interior. We snapped it up.'