Tour this theatrical Cotswolds home complete with artist's studio
In a small village near Stroud in the Cotswolds, Ali Allen's Grade-II listed stone house is hidden behind garden walls that also contain a trickling spring, vegetable garden and apple orchard.
Despite its flat Georgian frontage, the house has 16th century origins, and probably some Edwardian additions, judging by the impressive floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room.
Ali bought the four-bedroom property in 2021, after a nearby purchase fell through. "I was walking through the village and happened to peek over the little gate," says Ali.
"I just had a feeling about it, but didn't think it would ever come on the market. The next week, the agent called me. I think we were fated to be together."
The previous owners had modernised much of the interior, and Ali – who shares her home with two teenage sons and her dogs, Daphne and Delilah – gradually introduced soft colours, warm organic textures and stylish vintage treasures.
The result is a pleasingly cohesive scheme, sympathetic to the property and reflective of her own tastes. "I personally find soft colours and natural materials the calmest to live with, and I felt that they suited the house as well," she says.
In the spacious living room, Ali wanted to emphasise the feeling of elegance and lightness. Having sanded and limewashed the floorboards, she painted the walls in a powdery pink and added old French chandeliers and wall lights on dimmers “for gentle light and sparkle”.
The wooden horse came from an old shop display and the velvet chairs from Ebay. The wooden carving was originally from a church in Lisbon, and behind it sits an armoire made from some antique panels from Sunbury Antiques Market.
Much of her home came together this way, filled with treasures; "mostly vintage and antique – from local emporia, flea and antiques markets, eBay and other online places, and various shops and specialist dealers."
"I also have a passion for textiles, and I’ve used vintage fabrics all around the house. It’s in my ancestry, as my grandfather founded the mills at Saltaire in Yorkshire."
Ali chose the pitted texture and creamy colour of reclaimed Cotswold limestone paving in her kitchen. A huge Belfast sink perches on an old table, while a vintage armoire holds most of the storage and the worktop is a shapely antique trestle table.
Leading off the kitchen is a dining area with a sturdy table from French Farmhouse Furniture. The chairs are a mix of old and new, with some re-covered in antique linen.
Upstairs in the main bedroom, the walls are painted in Earthborn’s tranquil Ballet Shoe, and the upholstered French bed is dressed with a faded kantha quilt. "The morning light and birdsong wake me up," says Ali. "I love being close to nature and feeling the seasons."
In the ensuite, Ali laid terracotta tiles on the bathroom floor and right through into her shower. The curtain is a monogrammed vintage sheet found on Etsy and hung with a simple clip-and-ring fixing. The vintage cast-iron bath and taps came from Ebay.
Some of the best views over the garden are from Ali’s lean-to greenhouse, which she has converted into a painting and ceramics studio. Her organic pieces in paper-clay form delicate, fabric-like pendants and table lamps.
Another great love that Ali has discovered since moving is her garden. “Since being here, I’ve put in roses and foxgloves, as well as tending the beds and veg garden," she says. “I had no idea how much I would enjoy gardening – it’s like a living, ever-changing painting.”
Browse Ali’s photography and buy her prints at aliallen.co.uk, and see her home in the new issue of Modern Rustic, available to pre-order here.
Tour the rest of the home
You Might Also Like
