MODERN TIMES

A sleek, contemporary living space is at the heart of Evelyn and Simon Burton's dramatic and stylishly renovated Edwardian villa

- WORDS SHARON PARSONS

Evelyn and Simon Burton had very particular criteria when they began to look for the house they now call home, back in 2018. ‘We wanted a period property, decent parking, a level garden and, last but not least, a view,’ says Evelyn, who works in interiors and retail. ‘But while some might think all that should be fairly easy to achieve, it proved quite a tall order here.’

The beautiful Devon town where they were looking has higgledy-piggledy streets linked by steep steps and unique buildings, but with that historic charm come certain compromises. ‘Finding a property with just one thing on our wish list was proving difficult and we were beginning to think it was never going to happen,’ recalls Evelyn.