ROOMS WITH a view

LAURA'S RURAL COTTAGE IS PERFECT FOR FAMILY LIFE AND, THANKS TO WRAP-AROUND GLAZING AND HUGE WINDOWS, IT MAKES THE MOST OF ITS SURROUNDINGS, TOO

- ALISON GIBB

Living room

The cream metal-framed windows and French doors perfectly complement the traditional period details.

BUY THE KEY PIECES

Hampshire sofas in Beige, £899 each, Dusk. French doors, price on request, Hadleigh Glass. Barn coffee table, from £565, The Interiors Yard. Plain bobble rug, from £159.99, Rug Love

Laura Emmerson and her husband, Shaun, were living in London when they decided to make the move to the countryside with their young family. As soon as they viewed this property, located in a peaceful Suffolk village, they could immediately visualise it becoming their home and the extension that they hoped to add.

WHAT WAS APPEALING ABOUT THIS HOUSE?

'I really wanted to give our children a country childhood. And we wanted an older property to modernise and shape to our needs. When we first viewed this house, I knew I could bring order to what was a very higgledy piggledy home."

DID IT NEED A LOT OF WORK INITIALLY?

'We started with a basic upgrade to the decor, making do with the small, but perfectly usable, kitchen in what is now the snug, and dealing with practical jobs, such as updating the septic tank and clearing the garden, including the overgrown conifers surrounding the house. We cut them all down as you could hardly see the garden, let alone the views. In the meantime, we were thinking through our plans for the rest of the house. I did so much research, created mood boards, and we spent many evenings drawing up ideas on a piece of paper over a glass of wine."

WHEN DID YOU DO THE EXTENSION?