Changing Lanes

Sharon and Garry have made the dream of moving to a favourite holiday destination a reality with their Lake District home

- By Karen Wilson. Photographs by Katie Lee

As Sharon and Garry used to live in a first-floor flat, their furniture options were limited. Everything had to be small enough to go up two flights of stairs,' says Sharon. 'Now I can have the corner sofa I'd been dreaming about for two years.

Walls painted in Cley, Fenwick & Tilbrook. Sofa and Sally Weatherill cushions, Living Room, Lampshades, Lomas & Lomas, Side table La Redoute. White face planter, Ebay Coffee table trunk, junk shop find.

The shelved alcove used to be the front entrance and was blocked up about 15 years ago when part of the hallway was incorporated into the living room. The decks belong to Garry, who used to be a DJ.

Shelving unit, charity shop. Gletter, Saltmill Vintage. Green planter and stand, Homesense

When Sharon and Garry Lomas moved to the Lake District in March 2020, it was the second time they'd upped sticks for a complete change of lifestyle. 'We holidayed in the Lakes all the time, but it was getting harder and harder to go back home,' says Sharon. “Then I was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis and we took the opportunity to reshape our lives.

The first time the pair made such a big move was back in 2015. Sharon left her job as an advertising manager in Manchester and the couple started an interiors store and gallery in the Derbyshire village of Hayfield, renting an apartment above. I'd had enough of my job and it was something I'd always wanted to do,' says Sharon. 'Although we had an amazing five years there, we were working constantly and wanted to slow down.'