When we think of the Cotswolds, many of us imagine chocolate-box cottages built from honeyed limestone.
Vanessa Price was born and raised in such a home, and for 17 years she and husband Steve lived in a limestone cottage in Stroud, a home they had never imagined leaving.
However, when they spotted a property for sale in nearby Whiteway, they decided it was time for a change.
Architecturally and socially, Whiteway is not a typical Cotswolds village. Formed in 1898 under Tolstoyan principles, the Whiteway Colony was a co-operative land scheme, originally inhabited by a small group of people who embraced self-sufficient living.
Most houses are timber structures that were built by the occupants and have been altered over time. ‘These homes rarely come on the market, and before completing on a sale, buyers are required to be interviewed by the residents,’ explains Vanessa.
Today, there are over 60 properties with 120 people living there. While it no longer follows Tolstoyan values, the village has a strong sense of community that really appealed to Vanessa and Steve.
‘Initially, we put an offer in on a property in 2019 but sadly it fell through,’ says Vanessa. ‘We knew from then on that we wanted to live here, so we put a notice on the community noticeboard and three years later our current home came up.
'We fell in love with the large veranda and the wrap-around garden, and offered the asking price straight away.’
Embracing the good life
The couple decided to prioritise the outside, starting with the kitchen garden.
‘I’m really into gardening and wanted somewhere lovely to look out on,’ says Vanessa. They levelled the ground with help from a neighbour before installing raised beds in the vegetable garden, where Vanessa grows vegetables, fruit and cut flowers.
Vanessa and Steve added the garden shed and painted it a dark shade, along with a greenhouse.
The 1950s caravan was salvaged from a garden in Stroud. Vanessa and Steve cleaned it up and made repairs, and it now creates a charming focal point in their garden and a unique garden room.
Vanessa papered the inside of the door with leafy wallpaper from B&Q, which complements the retro folding chairs
Neutral colour scheme
The property was structurally sound, so luckily, it was a case of doing mainly cosmetic work in order to make it their own.
‘When we moved in, the rooms were bright blue and green, so we painted the whole house in a neutral palette and fitted new bedroom carpets,’ says Vanessa.
The neutral scheme acts as a perfect backdrop for their eclectic furniture, artwork and accessories.
In the living room, Vanessa has created an eclectic gallery wall using vintage artwork collected over the years.
Salvaged furniture
The large rooms are a perfect blank canvas for showcasing Vanessa and Steve’s reclaimed furniture and collectables.
Steve made the table for the kitchen-diner using a salvaged door and metal trestles brought back from France. The glazed cabinets are from IKEA and painted to match the units. Steve inherited the wooden chairs from his mother, while the plywood chairs are from a car-boot sale, as are the pendant lamps.
As seasoned salvage hunters, the couple have an eclectic mix of pieces, juxtaposing different styles and eras. Mid-century finds picked up from local furniture banks and charity shops sit alongside vintage pieces inherited from family and furniture made from reclaimed timber.
Before they moved here, the couple used to have a holiday home in France and would often load up their car with brocante finds, which now adorn their home.
Reclaimed kitchen
The couple updated existing kitchen units with Black 01 paint by Lick, and used salvaged timber to clad the island.
They bought the vintage wall cabinets from the previous owners and integrated free-standing pieces from their old house to create a rustic kitchen feel.
Retro-style bedroom
A warm, neutral backdrop in the main bedroom is perfect for layering a textural mix of colour and pattern, with woven pieces adding a retro feel.
Vanessa found the bed at Laura Ashley and the sofa was brought back during a trip to France.
The secondhand chest of drawers and macrame wall hanging found on Etsy add the perfect vintage bedroom feel.
Bedroom feature wall
The feature wall in the guest bedroom was created with Lick’s Beige 02 and 03 shades, and Vanessa finished it off with a dried flower wreath made by a friend.
Veranda
The vintage finds spill out onto the veranda, where the couple have embraced outdoor living, creating cosy al fresco seating areas.
Patio doors in the main bedroom open onto the veranda where the couple enjoy the garden, rain or shine.
Macramé accessories and a wall hanging bring a bohemian feel, while outdoor lanterns create a magical mood after dark.
A medley of vintage metal advertising signs brings focal points and splashes of colour to the large wraparound veranda.
‘The veranda is our favourite space,’ says Vanessa. ‘We spend so much time out there, even in winter. It’s magical at Christmas.'
‘We love our cabin house and we see our future here. We enjoy having the countryside on our doorstep and the sense of community the place offers.’
This feature first appeared in Period Living Magazine. Click here to subscribe.
