Home Style: Animal Magic

Jessie and Henry Ward have transformed a large run-down farmhouse into a warm and inviting family home – the perfect winter wonderland for their two boys and growing menagerie...

With a new baby, a huge Bernese mountain dog, two cats and a growing number of horses and alpacas, Jessie and Henry Ward were beginning to feel the squeeze in their previous home. What’s more, it was located just off a busy road, which was becoming a concern. “When our first son, Xander, was born, the road started to worry me and we needed more outside space for the animals, so the time seemed right to move. We looked at around 20 properties before we saw the farmhouse,” recalled Jessie. 

The seven-bedroom listed home offered a peaceful setting on a rural lane in the countryside away from busy roads. The couple were drawn by the fact that space would most definitely no longer be an issue – it came complete with a huge detached barn, cricket pitch and 38 acres. It was also ripe for renovation. The couple were about to make an offer when their own buyers pulled out, so in order to stop their dream home slipping through their fingers, they bid above the asking price to ensure the vendors took it off the market. Their tactic worked and eventually the property was finally theirs. 

When work began on the house, the family lived out of two downstairs rooms and moved from bedroom to bedroom upstairs throughout the process. During the renovation, Jessie fell pregnant with their second son, Kit, so the pressure was on to get everything ready in time for his arrival. 

The couple had to obtain the necessary listed- buildings consent and planning permission to reconfigure the downstairs, creating a large kitchen/ dining room, a boot room – big enough to accommodate Arthur’s dog bed, and a large family room. They also added a stone porch with iron pyrites, to avoid the front door opening directly into the sitting room. They then totally replumbed and redecorated throughout, adding new fixtures and fittings. 

Work went pretty smoothly until they neared the end of the project, when they suffered a major setback. “The windows were a mixture of Crittall windows that wouldn’t shut properly, or single-glazed timber windows that were rotting, so the house was freezing. So, we took the decision to replace every window in the house,” explained Jessie. “Theonly ones the conservation officer would approve were bespoke hand-made timber with extremely narrow glazing bars. They were meant to be delivered two weeks before Christmas, but they didn’t turn up until the following March, so everything had to be put on hold until they arrived.” 

With their second baby due any day, the timing was far from ideal. “We finally finished in April – on the day I went into hospital to have Kit,” said Jessie. “But going back to a beautiful home with a perfect new baby was magical.” 

Outside, the couple have built a beautiful stable block for the alpacas and horses. “Going up there on a cold winter’s night to find 12 alpacas nestled in the straw with the horses munching on their hay right next door is pretty special,” said Jessie. 

The animals entail a lot of work, but the family love it. “We were given two alpacas as a wedding present,” Jessie explained. “They were so enchanting that we couldn’t help but get some more. One of them, Miss Moneypenny, gave birth to her cria Wilbur soon after I had Kit – and I ended up having to bottle feed him. I remember I would be up a 2am feeding Kit and then would have to run down to the stables to feed Wilbur!” 

The property also has an ancient barn that the family uses for parties. “All we have done is clean it. I think it would ruin it if we were to do anything else. The reason it’s so charming is because it’s in its natural state,” said Jessie. 

Their home comes into its own at Christmas time. As well as the large kitchen/dining room, the downstairs features a family room, playroom, library and music room, and Jessie bedecks each space with wintry greenery, baubles, candles and festive touches. 

“We love Christmas. My birthday is three days after Christmas and Xander’s is on December 24, so it’s a very special time of year,” said Jessie. “We tend to have a family party for Xander on Christmas Eve and then it’s just the four of us for stockings in bed on Christmas morning. We go out to feed the animals and then come back in for a hearty brunch, before opening the presents under the tree. The animals need feeding again at about 3pm, but then we can come in for a traditional lunch with all the trimmings at 4pm and can properly relax!” 

Jessie’s style is rustic yet luxurious. “I was inspired by my French-Egyptian great- grandparents,” she said. “They had a beautiful house in the Loire Valley, which was filled with French antiques and ethnic pieces collected over a lifetime of visiting Africa.” 

Now the family are happily ensconced in their home, they plan on staying put. “I wouldn’t change a thing, I love it.” Jessie smiled. “The renovation means it’s completely bespoke to us and the way that we live, and we have been able to fill it with things we have collected over time.” 

Photogrpahy: Richard Gadsby / Living4media

Words: Amy Maynard / Living4media