A home for THE HOLIDAYS

Combining a cottage and former schoolhouse has created a spacious home for Kim and Mark Dyke to enjoy the festivities

- KAREN DARLOW AND LISA FAZZANI.

KITCHEN

An island in the centre of the kitchen gives useful extra prep space that's handy when Kim and Mark are entertaining at Christmas.

Seeing it look like the typical 'chocolate box' cottage, with a thatched roof, pretty views, and a picturesque setting, it's hard to believe Kim and Mark Dyke needed any persuading to take on this stunning property.

'I didn't find the house instantly appealing,' says Kim. 'It was actually two properties: a timbered cottage and, joined to that, the former village school. With no working electricity, heating or plumbing, the property was barely habitable, while both the interior and exterior were pretty grim. 'The beams were black, the carpets were pink, plus the front garden had been the school playground, so was all tarmac,' says Kim.

Kim's husband Mark thought the property was worth pursuing, and Kim was won over by the gorgeous views and village location, close to Norwich where the couple both work as healthcare professionals, so they decided to take the plunge. Unsure how to turn the disparate buildings into a harmonious whole, the couple called in Jonathan Funnell, an architectural technician, to manage the project. There were false ceilings to remove, walls to replaster, and new stairs to go in - and that was just in the schoolhouse.

'The cottage had once been the village rectory, but after part of it burnt down 200 years ago, it was left derelict until about 1860, when the school was rather unceremoniously tacked on to what was left,' explains Kim. 'The two sides are still separate on the first floor, with a staircase each. We thought it made sense to keep it that way, so guests have their own space.