Working together in style

Orange and yellow passion fruit hangs from the gables of Fiona and Pete’s house in the flatlands of Cambridgeshire. Situated not far from Ely, travelling to their home is like entering another country – with big landscapes, wide horizons and vast skies.

“I hated it when we first came here,” says Pete. “I really missed the softer rolling countryside of Surrey and Kent. But now I love it. It’s always changing and we get wonderful sunrises and sunsets.”

“We can walk in 10 different directions from home and be in open countryside,” adds Fiona. “The people here are lovely, so friendly. In fact we go camping and cycling with our neighbours and it’s great for walking. As the land is so low and flat it is criss-crossed by a system of drains. Running alongside the roads some of them are very ancient, perhaps 200-300 years old. They used them for moving animals, grain and coal and they are dotted with pubs which make convenient watering holes when we’re out cycling!”

The couple moved in seven years ago. A former farmhouse, the property hadn’t been touched since the 1970s, so it was a sea of Formica, swirling patterned wallpapers and carpets. They were keen to give it a total overhaul and refurbishment and, despite full-time jobs (Fiona is a Sister at a local hospital and Pete’s a pilot) they embarked on a programme of renovation.

They started with what had formerly been a granary and stable, entirely re-fitting it and converting it into a dining and sitting room, with Pete doing much of the work himself. Their beautiful new kitchen – fitted out in Fired Earth furniture and tiles and finished off with a Rangemaster Elan cooker – has a large internal unglazed window on one wall, opening out into their newly finished sitting room. To ensure an authenticity in appearance, Pete installed a large oak beam above the opening. “We really wanted standalone kitchen furniture, but everywhere we went we were advised it wouldn’t work and to stick with a built-in kitchen,” says Pete.

“I also wanted to use furniture constructed of wood with some real character, that looked aged and would fit in with the style of the house,” adds Fiona. “But we weren’t going to be able to spend a fortune.

“So when we met Sarah Baker, from Fired Earth’s store in Warmington Mill, and she was able to show us the Fired Earth Bastide kitchen furniture range. It was fantastic. She was excellent, helping us to appreciate just what might be possible in the space we have and we took her thoughts on board.”

“We were surprised at what good value the kitchen furniture, tiles and cooker turned out to be. With all the labour, electrics, plumbing and tiling, we bought the whole lot for under £10,000, including sink unit, console, island unit, two bar stools, tiles, paint and cooker” says Pete.

“As it’s freestanding it was relatively easy to install. The delivery team were brilliant, with some pieces having to be taken in through the sitting room windows. Prior to that I’d sanded and polished the floorboards in the kitchen and once the furniture and cooker were in place I was able to set about the decorating. However, I did have help with the electrics and plumbing.”

“Socially it’s so much easier now,” adds Fiona. “With the connection between the sitting room and kitchen, our friends and family can be at the table next door and I can be in the kitchen cooking, listening and taking part in the conversation. I love the cooker, it fits in beautifully with the Bastide furniture and it’s just so practical. In fact we’re just delighted with the whole room and can’t believe how much it’s changed our lives.”

The couple have also applied considerable energy to the garden, replanting it with fruit trees, vegetables and flower borders. An outside patio is shielded by a pair of old farm wheels, rescued from a local hedge, and providing support to an elegant vine flourishing amid all this fecundity.

“We used Fired Earth paint on all the external windows and, though I say it myself, it was a masterstroke using Weald Green instead of the rather severe white we had before,” says Pete. “The whole effect has been to soften up the exterior of the house by using this gentler, more subtle colour, much more in tune with the surroundings."

The couple are big fans of Fired Earth paint, having used it throughout the house, where they continue with an ongoing programme. And as if this wasn’t enough, Fiona has just started her own business from home where she
advises couples trying to start a family.

For more information on Fiona’s business visit www.fertilityessentials.co.uk