ORIGINAL STYLE

Naomi Stuart has stripped back layers of decoration to enhance the period beauty of her Victorian cottage

- NAOMI JONES

Seven years ago, when they realised their new romance had turned into something more serious, Naomi Stuart and her partner Richard Fetherston felt it was time to swap their two separate houses in two different Hertfordshire towns for a home they would choose, renovate and decorate together. After viewing 45 properties, the couple finally gave this quaint Victorian cottage in a peaceful Buckinghamshire village due consideration. ‘It was a little further away from our business in Hemel Hempstead than we would have liked,’ says Naomi, a marketing and PR manager, ‘which is why we initially discounted it. But with options running out and the sale of my previous house near completion we thought we should take a look.

‘When we saw the cottage, our reservations disappeared,’ she continues. ‘The potential to reveal the original beauty in the building once we peeled back the many layers of decoration was undeniable; and as outdoorsy people, we could both imagine how our new life together would be enriched with the countryside right on our doorstep.’ Naomi recorded their renovation story on Instagram (@grove_cottage_).