Lucy Ogilvie-Grant's thatched cottage is tucked away at the end of a secluded lane, surrounded by the wooded countryside and wild meadows of Hampshire.
Step inside and feel a carefree sense of style that belies the hard work that went into creating this characterful family home.
Lucy moved from Northumberland to Hampshire, where she rented locally before moving into the cottage with her then-teenage sons seven years ago.
She was drawn to the tranquility and sense of wonderful isolation, despite being close to the thriving market town of Petersfield and just an hour from London.
The previous owners had lived simply, without any modernizations. “It was important to me to retain that authentic, bohemian character,” recalls Lucy, who maintained great respect for the integrity of the building and the people who had lived there during the renovations.
She approached everything with the lightest of touches: “I reused every single floorboard, every single tap and every handle. I wanted the structure of the house to remain unchanged.”
To create more space, Lucy commissioned eco-architect Janna Laan of Grain Architecture to design an extension that would fit in with the rest of the house.
As the cottage was not listed, Jaana had the freedom to replace the poorly built 1960s extension. True to her organic design philosophy, she avoided modern sources of inspiration such as Instagram and Pinterest. Instead, she exploited it A pattern languagethe 1970s architectural handbook by Christopher Alexander, which served as her guide throughout the design and construction process.
The new design was built without concrete, steel or plastics, using natural materials: lime concrete for the foundations, a moisture barrier layer of slate, wood fiber insulation, wooden windows and reclaimed roof tiles.
Construction took a year and required Lucy and her sons to move into outbuildings on the meadow for an unforgettable summer. Luckily, Lucy had the foresight to commission a shepherd's hut – made from reclaimed wood and designed in a 'railway carriage' style – to be used as accommodation during the work. Painted in traditional Scandinavian Falun red, the cabin features a sliding door and a large window overlooking the meadow. Inside, a Windy Smithy stove provides warmth and coziness and now serves as a studio for Lucy's bookbinding and basket weaving workshop.
Check out the restored medieval cottage
The laundress
Colorful quilted patchwork bedspread
Country Living Charlbury Sofa
Myrtle Rustic Delft tile
Now 68% off
Geometric rug in red on white
Antique pine cabinet in Farrow & Ball India Yellow
Now 14% off
In the cabin, Lucy set about reusing everything she could and repurposing it. Underneath the original curved wooden staircase, she installed a box bed made from a hodgepodge of reused materials. A bright green painted BEKVÄM step stool from IKEA helps you get in, while a colorful patchwork blanket lies over the bed.
Her son's bathroom is a triumphant use of a tiny space. Lucy remodeled her grandmother's desk to create custom wood paneling that connects to her family's history. The small bathtub is “very popular with everyone because you can fill it up to your ears.” The deep red wall color is given a leather look using Annie Sloan's Dark Chalk Paint Wax. And in a true feat of creativity, the curtains in the neighboring bedroom are handmade from a sofa cover.
In the garden, Lucy let the meadow thrive. Within a year, a wild orchid had appeared. This summer there were 75 of them and now the garden is teeming with wildlife.
Like her father and grandfather, Lucy learned to scythe and maintained a peaceful connection with the land and the biodiversity that lives there. It's a caring, light-hearted approach that reflects the gentle and respectful way she breathed new life into her home.
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