At first, Gayle, with her husband Paul and grown-up son Jake, disregarded the Buckinghamshire property – a pair of cottages dating back to 1675, later knocked into one – when it came on the market. ‘It was way out of our budget and needed a lot of work. But we realised the scale of the work was putting people off, so when the price dropped, we went for it’ says Gayle.
They made the purchase in early 2020, and Gayle describes the property’s condition at the time as ‘one of those houses that had been patched up in the 1980s and had woodchip wallpaper throughout, holding crumbling walls together’. Despite its appearance, Gayle recognised its potential and the canvas it could be for her creativity. ‘I’d always had a bit…
You're reading a preview of
Woman & Home (Digital) - 1 Issue, January 2025