Perfect Harmony

A move to a pretty country property brought outPippa Connollys flair for interior style

- Maggie Colvin

Some people are lucky enough to find a house that barely needs anything doing to it beyond a quick lick of paint. Pippa and James Connolly fall into just this category. ‘We left our mid-terrace house in Surrey primarily to find country schools for Bella, now 15, and Will, 13,’ says Pippa, who designs soft furnishings. ‘I was focused on hunting for the right school, while James concentrated on properties. This pre-war cottage was in pretty good shape, perched on a hill in a quiet cul-de-sac in a hamlet. It had a secret wine cellar, now accessed only by moving the sofa, which conceals a trap door.’ For James, who is in the wine trade, this sealed the deal.

Pippa immediately fell for the building’s unique character. ‘It had two little porches on the side and to me feels a bit like a Swiss chalet especially as it is perched on a steep slope with a wide balcony spanning the rear of the property. There is also a second balcony accessed from the attic outside what is now Bella’s bedroom.’