Bright Spark

Richard Wherry has transformed his dark and gloomy Victorian home into a beautiful haven that makes the most of its original features

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Back to basics was Richard Wherry’s motto when he bought his Victorian home in Lincoln. ‘The house is in a beautiful position in the historic quarter, overlooking the cathedral with the countryside in the distance, but it was dark, tired and dated and hadn’t had any work done on it for at least 20 years,’ says Richard, who runs a property and construction business. ‘It was a case of new heating, plumbing, electrics, bathrooms – everything needed re-doing.’

Given his job, Richard wasn’t fazed by the amount of renovation work required. But he was anxious about the decoration. ‘I was worried about turning it into a man cave,’ he laughs, ‘so I felt I’d better get some some help in “opening up” the space and creating a warm, inviting home with a light touch.’ Daughters Lucy, 17, and Imogen, 14, stay regularly, so after following up on a personal recommendation, they discussed their ideas as a family with interior designer Sophie Peckett of Sophie Peckett Design. ‘We asked Sophie to make the most of the beautiful original features and make the whole house feel lighter and brighter,’ Richard explains.