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AMANDA HAMILTON HAS TRANSFORMED HER HISTORIC VILLAGE PROPERTY WITH COUNTRY PAINT EFFECTS AND PRETTY FABRICS AND ACCESSORIES.
Life in a Derbyshire village proved idyllic for Amanda Hamilton. So much so that she didnt want to move away, although she needed to find a house to buy as she was renting. One of her main requirements was to find somewhere that had character. She found a property that was in the LIVING AREA The painted beams and off - white shades create a Scandinavian - style scheme, while homemade cushions bring a sense of cosiness. The woodburner is an original French design. Pale sofa, blind, Laura Ashley. Leather sofa, Arighi Bianchi. Rug, curtains, Vanessa Arbuthnott. Throws, Anta, Abraham Moon, Laura Ashley. GARDEN ROOM This former carport features tongue - and - groove walls, which Amanda painted herself. The lovely sideboard was made by Amandas grandfather. Chairs, similar from Oka. Cushion fabric, Vanessa Arbuthnott. Lamps, Avant Garde of Baslow. Tablecloth. The White Company.
Centre of the village and had been built by the local stonemason in Victorian times. It also had an outbuilding that had at one time been the village jail. I couldnt get the place out of my head, says Amanda. It was just so charming and its location in the village couldnt have been better placed for my daughters getting to school.
The house had been empty for a year, however, and needed a lot of work. I pretty much inherited a shell, says Amanda. The previous owner had done external work, damp proofing and rewiring and had put in a staircase, but in the kitchen there were no units, just an Aga. It was a gcod strong building, but i; felt very unloved. The house was so old il came with foui sets of deeds. I saw the deeds from the 1800s and they were fascinating.
Amandas first task was to put in a new kitchen. She designed the units and got a local carpenter to make them. Two new bathrooms were installed and a carport became the garden room. We didnt have anywhere to store anything when we first moved in, says Amanda. We had left a large house and couldnt fit all the furniture in. In fact, one of the beds had to come in through the window because we couldnt get it up the spiral staircase. So Amanda put a stud wall in the carport so that she could store furniture. John later finished it off and made it into a proper room.
The size of the stairs and some of the rooms caused a few problems. Amanda couldnt fit any furniture into Charlotte and Emilys attic bedroom so she redesigned the room and had bespoke furniture made in situ. The
girls love it - they think its like sleeping in a treehouse because they can see the knots of the wood in the beams.
The age of the house led to one or two unforeseen problems: cne of the ceilings fell down and some of the wood in the property had to be treated as it was in poor condition. Once these were dealt with Amanda was keen to redecorate as the house felt a little dark. She decided to paint all the rooms white, including the beams. You need lots of light and not too much going on in a cottage like this, she says. Through her interior design work she comes across lots of different styles and felt the Scandinavian look combined with a French feel would work well. I like ticking and faded florals and then add textiles and blankets when it gets cold/ she says.
A key inyiedient uf Amai.das look is hei use of painted finishes - she painted most of the furniture herself, creating a distressed finish and added a colourwash to the tongue - and - groove walls in the garden room. Some of her pieces of furniture are antiques. I love to upcycle things, she says. I have a huge mirror made out of a church pew and a collection of bits and pieces that I like. Now and again Ill change things around in the house so that I can try different things out Eventually, Amanda and John hope to join the outbuilding to the main house and then their renovations will finally be complete. Well be staying put for qui;e some time to come! says Amanda.
HOW то...
Ceate your own finishes for walls and furniture.
For a washed effect on wocd panelling, use watered down emulsion then a coat of Dead Flat Decorators Varnish from Polyvine.
Natural limewash and distemper paints give a chalky finish to plain walls. For an ultra - matt finish, take a look atCiaypaint from Earthborn.
Applying a wash of one colour over another adds depth to wall finishes. Find step - by - step advice at the Paint Quality Institute, paintquality.co.uk.
To add age to furniture, paint in one colour and leave to dry. Apply a second coat in a contrasting colour. Once dry, sand back :he top coat on any wear - and - tear areas, such as seat backs and arms.
For a limed effect on furniture use Liberon Liming Wax and finish with Liberon Neutral Black Bison Paste Wax, or water - resistant Lioeron Finishing Oil.
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