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Magnus Pettersen and Ella Jones gave a tired Victorian property a contemporary twist with a clever use of vibrant colours and natural materials. When Magnus Pettersen and Ella Jones upsized from a small modern townhouse to a larger London property, they were looking for a project. The couple, who met 10 years ago, had completed three renovations before buying this three-bedroom Victorian terrace. ‘Its converted loft, extended kitchen and big garden were huge draws for us,’ explains Ella. They also loved the location on a tree-lined road. ‘It’s very peaceful and close to lots of green space,’ she adds. Used...

Emma Hatfield Watkins’ use of a subtle palette and thoughtful touches brought the character back to her elegant, much-loved 18th-century property. When Emma Hatfield Watkins’ husband, Iain, was a teenager and mowing his neighbour’s lawn to earn pocket money, he never imagined that, one day, he would buy the house he’d often admired from across the garden. Over the years, the property, which is surrounded by barns, has witnessed a number of reincarnations. ‘During the Seventies, an occupant sold the house and moved into one of the barns which they’d converted,’ explains Emma. ‘The surrounding garden was then divided up...

AFTER WORKING AND RAISING A FAMILY OVERSEAS, CAT AND SIM PRESTON FELT THE CALL OF THEIR RURAL ROOTS AND FOUND THE PERFECT ENGLISH FAMILY HOME IN THE COTSWOLDS. It was a case of going back to their roots when Cat and Sim Preston bought a beautiful converted mill in the Cotswolds. Originally from Wiltshire, the couple lived in London and then overseas in Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Chicago and Hong Kong, as they brought up their three children, Jake, Josh and Hana. But when Jake was about to start his GCSEs, he decided he wanted to go to school in the...

MARY LUSSIANA IS ENCHANTED BY AN ART AND CRAFT-FILLED HOTEL AMONG THE OLIVE GROVES AND HILLTOP TOWNS OF THE ALENTEJO REGION Somewhere in the range of two hours east of Lisbon, the scene of open fields is dabbed with olive forests and antiquated, white-washed, peak towns graced with settling storks. The as of late opened Dá Licença has brought a totally new dimension of cabin to this crude and true corner of Portugal's Alentejo region.Converted nineteenth-century ranch structures, dissipated crosswise over ground that was initially developed as a natural nursery by nearby nuns, are at the core of in excess...