Home Style: Eclectic Gem

Nina and Bob Parker have injected character into their converted long barn with confident vision, clever design, and much-loved heirlooms and finds

Nina Parker puts her creative eye, appreciation of well-loved items and instinctive home-making skills down to both her grandmothers. “My English granny’s home was a riot of colour, filled with handmade items like rag rugs and patterned cushions, whereas my Belgian grandmother had a home that centred around the kitchen, which always felt so warm and welcoming,” she recalled. 

Both strands have woven through every property she and her family have lived in over the years. “For me, these are the things that always make a home,” Nina explained, and it’s clear such influences were central to the vision she and her husband Bob shared when they bought their converted barn – known as a linhay – four years ago. 

“Although we’d lived in old properties before, our last home was a practical 1980s house which suited us at the time, but we hankered to live in an old property again, and once our boys had flown the nest and Bob had retired, we decided it was the right time,” Nina said. 

It took a long time to find anything that ticked the boxes, however, and the couple initially only viewed the converted barn on the outskirts of Sherborne out of curiosity.

“Nevertheless, the minute we drove down the lane lined with its pretty thatched cottages, I knew this was the place we should be,” said Nina. “When the barn was part of a working farm, the cows would come along from the nearby valley and into the farmyard which is now our courtyard. We loved the sense of history.” 

It did take some vision to see how the long, low barn could look, however. The 1990s conversion had stripped the 200-year-old building of its character. “It was just like a nondescript bungalow inside, and very gloomy with dark-framed windows, bland decor, and a strange stippled-glass panel dividing the kitchen from the rest of the living space,” Nina explained. 

The couple felt that the main living area should be one open space to ensure the interior was as bright and airy as possible, with the bedrooms and bathrooms leading directly off it, via a light-filled corridor. Luckily, the previous owners had already obtained planning permission for large skylight windows to be installed which was a good starting point, and the moment the couple moved in, the renovation began. 

The work took around 18 months altogether and the couple lived on site throughout. “It was tricky at times,” Nina admitted. “I’d had major wrist surgery when work started, and there was no running water for three days. That was when I did wonder a little what we’d done!” 

Gradually, however, the newly-configured interior began to emerge. “Once the essential repairs had been made, and the basics including plumbing and wiring had been updated, a fireplace was installed in the sitting-room area to give it a focal point, and new oak floors were laid throughout to provide a sense of flow,” Nina explained. 

The kitchen was central to the overall scheme. “I love cooking and wanted this part of the house to feel like a real hub,” Nina said. To make more space, they sacrificed the existing utility room next to the original kitchen (there is now a discreet laundry cupboard at one end of the kitchen), which also meant there was room for the large island the couple wanted to harness the space. “However, I didn’t want the units to feel too ‘fitted’ or perfect – I’ve never been much of one for symmetry!” laughed Nina. 

“We found a company in Yeovil that specialise in handmade freestanding furniture which can butt together, which we thought was a great approach – neat, practical and stylish, but not too uniform.” 

The palette throughout the barn employs soft, neutral tones for the simple reason that Nina wanted the many heirlooms, vintage treasures and artwork collected or inherited over the years to be fully appreciated. 

Quirky ephemera – clackety typewriters, chunky binoculars, boxy cameras and charming collectibles – sit alongside colourful old books, timeworn linens and rustic ceramics to create informal little displays, while a mix of antique, contemporary and even industrial furniture help to create an ambience that is relaxed, comfortable and truly welcoming.

“At last, the barn has the character we felt it deserved,” said Nina. “It really does feel like a home now – I think both my grandmothers would approve.” 

Words: Sharon Parsons / living4media

Photography: Richard Gadsby / living4media