A WELL-KEPT SECRET

A Victorian cottage, once a carpenter's barn, bewitched Laura and Patrick Butler-Madden and took them on an unexpected journey

- CHARLOTTE COLVILLE

Drawing room A pale colour palette keeps this room calm, while the painting above the mantel flips up to reveal a TV. Sofa, MeliMeli. Armchair and stool, Love Your Home. Painting, Kristin Gaudio Endsley

Exterior The charming red-brick Carpenter’s Cottage dates back to 1873 when it was built as a workshop and a barn 

Drawing room The spiral staircase is a space-saving, unusual and characterful feature, and allows light to flow in from above. Grey armchair, Soho Home. Cushion (left), Jonathan Adler

AT HOME WITH

Owners Laura and Patrick Butler-Madden, property renovators and designers, live here with daughter Lily, four, and two Maltese terriers, Coco and Lola.

House A red-brick Victorian cottage with two bedrooms when they bought it in February 2019. They have added a third bedroom with a shower room and extended the kitchen.