Ivybank in Shilton is a classic Cotswold house that has been restored to picture perfection. The owners, renowned photo-journalist Stephen Markeson and his wife Juliana, have lovingly restored their home with a huge amount of creative flair, making a bright and comfortable family home that reflects the heritage of its 19th century origins.
The three bedroom family home is beautifully presented and charmingly pretty. Deceptively spacious, the entrance hall is grand for a house of its period, and a galleried landing adds light.
“The house, when we bought it, was in very good structural order,” says Juliana. “but the layout was not ideal for modern family living and we wanted to make it work for our lifestyle and interests,” she adds. “For example, Stephen is a very keen cook and firmly believes that the kitchen is the heart of the house, so we installed a new farmhouse kitchen, designed and equipped to be just how he wanted it.” The Markesons also enlarged the dining area, adding French windows to give access to the garden and make more of the wonderful views over the valley.
The most striking change, and one of the simplest, was to the appearance of the front of the house. “The property looked slightly forbidding, with UPVC windows and a dark blue front door” explains Juliana. “By upgrading the windows, and changing the door to pale green with brass, we immediately made the house look more welcoming.”
New bathrooms were also installed, including a charming Victorian style en suite, and the whole house was redecorated to create a light, airy interior with simple finishes and natural materials, such as limestone flooring in the kitchen and shower room. “The hall is really lovely, which we have painted in a very warm colour, and this also forms a perfect backdrop for Stephen’s black and white photographs."
By coincidence, Ivybank has a strong photographic heritage, as Juliana explains: “The previous owner’s uncle had been a very keen early amateur photographer, who had compiled an extensive photographic record of the village on his plate camera (some of the images now hang in the village hall). She was delighted that the house would once again be occupied by a photographer and astonished Stephen by arriving at the house one day with her uncle’s camera and some of the original glass plates, which are now amongst Stephen’s most prized possessions.”
The Markesons will miss Shilton as much as the house. “Shilton is a thriving and friendly community,” she says. “On the day we moved in neighbours invited us to a drinks party, which made us feel at home from the start. Now, Stephen’s retirement is enabling us to fulfill a long cherished dream of buying a property abroad; we are buying something smaller in Oxfordshire and have the happy task of finding something that we will love as much as Shilton on the other side of the Channel.”
Ivybank is on the market through Carter Jonas for £695,000. Contact Mark Charter on 01865 511444 to arrange a viewing.
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