A few weeks ago, myself and Rachel headed down to Suffolk bright and early for our first location of our two-day trip away. Luckily the weather was on our side with the sun beaming and not a cloud in the sky, the perfect conditions for our trip - especially with our second shoot being outdoors!
Our first location was in a quaint village near Ipswich, Suffolk with Natalie, who we discovered on Instagram. Natalie had tagged us in a selection of photos of her newly renovated project - we absolutely loved Natalie’s style and couldn’t wait to shoot our Abbey Sandstone in such a lovely home.
Natalie’s home is as beautiful from the outside as the inside. The soft sage green windows work in perfect harmony with the bespoke oak porch and our Abbey Sandstone. It is always a delight to see a modern take on a classic country style, using a mix of natural materials to create the perfect balance of old and new.
After taking a few snaps of the exterior, we couldn’t wait to get inside and see the rest! Natalie kindly welcomed us in showing us the rest of her renovated space, where we chatted all things renovation over a cold drink!
We loved hearing about Natalie’s journey over the past few years and so, for this post, we wanted to let Natalie take over and chat to you herself about her home at Oak View.
Tell us a bit about the area of your home & when your project started...
The property me and my husband built together is in a countryside village just on the outskirts of Ipswich, Suffolk. Field views to the front and woodland views behind make a beautiful setting for our home. The project itself has taken approximately 2 years in total. We submitted planning in 2019 then we broke ground in July 2020, the build itself was a year.
What do you like about living where you do?
The location itself is perfect for us, it's peaceful, close to family and is not too far from amenities and the location holds great memories for me growing up. The land itself was actually where I grew up as a child and we were fortunate enough to purchase the land from family. It has always been my dream to build here one day and now we have.
What type of styles did you want to incorporate in your home?
We have always had a clear vision of what we wanted our home to look like and feel like. We wanted a calm and naturally light space with neutral tones in the kitchen and oak beams, with a vaulted ceiling. We wanted nice quality fixtures and fittings, the light switches, sockets, and door furniture are from Corston Architectural Detail and give our home that extra high end feeling.
Where is your kitchen from & what paint colours have you used?
The kitchen was the most important space to us and was handmade by John at John Price Fine Furniture who has exceeded our expectations. The colour of the kitchen is Farrow and Ball ‘’ Elephants Breath ‘’ which compliments the floor tiles well, but we have gone a little bolder in the office and playroom with Neptune colours ‘’ Smoke’’ and ‘’ Charcoal ‘’ which is a nice contrast to the rest of the house.
Why in particular did you choose the Abbey sandstone tiles?
We fell in love with the ‘’Abbey Time Worn Sandstone Tiles’’ because of the smoothness and warm tones, the variation in the tiles is interesting to look at and makes the space more unique. The worn edges make the space feel traditional too. We wanted the tiles to flow from the front porch, through the hallway then leading into the kitchen so that your eye was naturally drawn to the kitchen area. We also have the tiles in our wc, utility and boot room.
What is your favourite interior piece and why?
Our favourite feature is the oak beams in the vaulted ceiling kitchen, it brings character, texture and warm tones to the space, which we feel is important in such a new property. We wanted the space to have charm and a focal point as you enter the room.
What was the most difficult part of your renovation process?
The most difficult thing during the build was the uncertainty and setbacks. We built the house during Covid, therefore our builder found it difficult to source the materials we needed at times. Many people were also in this position, whether it be building or renovating.
What is your favourite thing to do in your home/newly renovated area?
Our favourite thing to do is listening to music throughout the house, whilst having a glass of gin together and playing board games in the kitchen. One of my favourite things also is a nice bubble bath in our roll top bath in our master-ensuite.
Are you planning on any future projects?
We built this as our forever home, we haven't any children yet but look forward to many happy years here and starting a family in the home we have built together.
Mr & Mrs Saunders x
Thank you to Natalie for letting us visit your beautiful home at Oak View and I hope all you eager renovators enjoyed the read.
