Home Style: Perfect Proportions

Liz Hoad and her husband Tim have used every inch of space, including their delightful garden, to create a warm and welcoming country home

Liz and Tim Hoad live in this charming cottage beside a village duck pond in Dorset. Originally from Kent, where Tim had worked as a director in the family’s shoe business and Liz taught physical education part-time. Now retired, they spend their days enjoying the peaceful rhythm of village life, regularly welcoming visits from their three grown-up children, Jonty, Anna, and Toby, and seven grandchildren. The couple love to look after the ducks that have make their home on the local pond. 

Their connection to the Dorset coast goes back many years. They had always enjoyed family holidays in the area, and Tim even kept a small boat in nearby Shell Bay, which they would use during their frequent getaways. Though the idea of retiring to the coast had always beenin the back of their minds, the search for a new home wasn’t urgent, especially while their youngest son, Toby, was still living at home. But fate stepped in one night when their dinghy broke loose while they were asleep on the boat. 

After it was recovered further down the coast, they decided to spend the night in a village B&B on a whim and happened upon a small, slightly tired- looking cottage for sale. 

The cottage intrigued Liz, particularly as the oldest part of it, comprising the sitting room and the bedroom above had once been home to the local shoemaker, a charming coincidence given Tim’s background. 

It was clear the house needed work, but Liz was drawn to its character and warmth. With only three rooms downstairs and two bedrooms upstairs, which were accessed by an open-tread staircase from the kitchen, the space felt confined, especially compared to the four-bedroom house and large garden they’d left behind. But Liz was convinced it had potential and eventually persuaded Tim that they could make it work and they went ahead and purchased the property. 

Initially, the cottage served as a weekend retreat, but it wasn’t too long before they were spending a lot more time there. Eventually they sold their old home and moved in permanently, downsizing their possessions and keeping only their most cherished pieces of furniture. Renovations began modestly with basic repairs and redecoration. 

One of their earliest changes was replacing the avocado bathroom suite upstairs with a classic white one and overhauling the dated kitchen. They removed the tired formica cabinets and installed traditional country- style units from a small company in Tunbridge Wells, which Tim fitted himself, along with a butler’s sink and wooden worktops. 

An attempt to remove some old wiring unexpectedly brought half a wall down, which led them to install tongue-and- groove panelling along one side, an unplanned decision they now love. The lino was also lifted and replaced with terracotta floor tiles to suit the rustic feel of the cottage. 

Eventually, they undertook the most significant transformation by extending the kitchen. As the cottage sits within a conservation area, gaining planning permission could have proved a challenge, but the proposed work involved building onto an existing 1980s extension, which made approval easier. 

Their architect designed the new section to blend seamlessly, simply pushing out the wall while keeping the French doors and window in their original positions. A new side window added valuable light, and the builders ensured the sloping roof and exterior matched perfectly. The only real hiccup came when they were unable to find matching tiles for the new section of the kitchen floor – they ended up replacing the entire floor with new tiles. 

The garden has been their favourite project, it was overgrown and chaotic when they moved in, now it has been cleared and redesigned as a series of little garden ‘rooms’. They introduced winding paths and tucked-away patios to add structure and intimacy, favouring an informal, country style. The space is now a haven for pollinators, with beds of lavender, honeysuckle, and cosmos, and it continues to evolve with each passing season. 

The couple have always grown vegetables, but in recent years the emphasis has shifted toward creating a more wildlife-friendly space. On the site of an old, dilapidated garden room, Tim has built a summerhouse that now serves as a favourite retreat, and an extra bedroom when the house is full! 

Inside, Liz and Tim have embraced the cottage’s compact footprint by using a soft, light palette throughout to prevent it from feeling cramped. The exception is the sitting room, which is part of the original cottage, where they’ve left the old stone walls exposed. This room, mainly used on cosy winter evenings, is darker by nature but when the wood burner is lit, it becomes a welcoming and intimate hideaway. They decided not to cover the original Purbeck stone floors with carpet, appreciating their practicality, especially with visiting grandchildren. 

Pretty country-style fabrics in gentle shades of pink and aqua soften the rooms, while the kitchen features cheerful pops of red against a classic cream backdrop. An Aga, bought with money left by an aunt, provides warmth throughout the home, replacing the clunky night storage heaters that once served as the only source of heat. 

A particularly happy discovery during the renovation was the original fireplace in the sitting room, long hidden behind later additions and now the perfect home for their wood burner. 

Thinking creatively has been key to making the most of their modestly sized home. The patio acts as a well-used outdoor room during the summer, and the summerhouse provides extra space for overnight guests. Their next project is to add a shepherd’s hut in the gardento accommodate their ever- growing family, a charming solution in keeping with their imaginative and heartfelt approach to homemaking.For Liz and Tim, the joy lies not just in what they’ve built, but in how they’ve made it work comfortably, beautifully, and with room for everyone. 

Photography: Richard Gadsby/ Living4media

Words: Sharon Parsons/ Living4media