Country Living

Homeowners Helen and Philip moved to the Lisburn countryside, where they’ve built a stylish family home that continues to adapt to suit their lifestyle needs.

Having already dipped their toes in the water with a renovation and refurbishment of their previous home, when it came to their next move Philip and Helen knew they wanted to build. ‘Philip grew up in this area of Lisburn, and we knew wanted to build and move to the countryside, so when we heard that this site was for sale in 2015 we didn’t hesitate to purchase it,’ says Helen.

When it came to designing and building their family home, Philip and Helen approached Rory Pepper from Pepper Architects in Dromore. The couple wanted a traditional Georgian style build to sit beautifully within the mature garden of this countryside location, and Rory worked closely with them to ensure the look and layout were everything they were hoping for. The functional double garage is finished in grey sandstone sourced from a local quarry and it adds an interesting contrast to the plaster finish of the main house.

‘I knew I wanted a large open-plan kitchen/living/dining area’, explains Helen. ‘We had renovated to create a large open-plan space like this in our previous house so we knew it was perfect for our needs. Rory suggested the orangery. I love how it brings the outdoors in and fills the whole space with lots of natural light. ‘This is the hub of our home,’ she adds. ‘It is the everyday living area for the whole family and has been designed to be a cosy space for all five of us as well as our dog Heidi. The sofa is a longtime favourite that has been brought from our previous home. It is so comfortable and I don’t worry about it too much with a dog and three young kids. The two armchairs in here are from DFS and I also have a beautiful vintage oak chair. I’ve used a collection of cushions and throws from our Cohen & Co collection to accessorise in here. There are also a lot of pieces displayed throughout the house that I have picked up when travelling. The woodburning stove is a Charwood C-Six, it’s traditional styling suits the overall interior and it is a really cosy addition in the space, especially at this time of year,’ adds Helen.

The window seats were designed and installed by local kitchen company Strawhill Kitchens, who also worked alongside Helen and Philip to design and make the kitchen and boot room.