OLD MASTER, NEW STYLE

Bonnie Morris turned this schoolmaster’s house into a family home and learned to love Arts & Crafts style in the process

- SELINA LAKE

Bonnie Morris and her husband David began their search for an English country home from Singapore where they were both working. But when they missed out on several properties to on-the-scene buyers, the couple decided they needed to move back to the UK while they continued their hunt.

‘We rented for a while,’ says Bonnie. ‘It was great to be back in London with all the restaurants and shops on tap, but we were craving laid-back countryside living and decided that Surrey would be a brilliant county to narrow down our search.’

It was Bonnie who initially viewed the Arts & Crafts property they now live in. She told David she thought it was the one but that he needed to come and take a look. With its lovely garden, a location surrounded by greenery and an easy commute to London, he really didn’t need much persuading to make the move.

The house was once the home of a schoolmaster from the boarding school across the road, so it has a grand feel, especially in the entrance hall with its original wooden panelling and terracotta floor tiles. Bonnie admits she wasn’t a fan of Arts & Crafts style but she wanted to celebrate the property’s history, while adding her own ideas and modern colours.