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Step contained in the enchanting world of Lizzie Finest, proprietor of The Primitive Residence, and uncover how a uncared for Tudor-era cottage turned a heat, soulful sanctuary crammed with historical past, character, and allure.

Images and Inside Designs by Lizzie Finest

Love at First Sight (and Second Ideas)

Some properties seize your coronary heart immediately. For Lizzie Finest, it was a Sixteenth-century cottage tucked away on the Norfolk-Suffolk border. “Every time we drove previous, I’d declare that ‘in the future I’ll dwell in that home!’” she remembers.

When the property lastly got here up on the market, Lizzie and her companion Steve jumped on the probability—however actuality hit exhausting throughout the viewing. “I hated it! It was unloved, darkish, damp, and wanted quite a lot of love,” Lizzie admits.

However what started as a frightening renovation challenge quickly turned the couple’s best journey.

Respiratory Life Again right into a Tudor Treasure

Shifting in again in 2015, Lizzie and Steve shortly realized their dream house wanted severe consideration. Damp points, water ingress, and drained interiors demanded a whole overhaul. The couple rolled up their sleeves and embraced the DIY life.

Key Restoration Highlights:

cute holiday entrance with old wood benc and bench and sage freen walls

Exterior Revival: A full makeover, together with new home windows, contemporary paint, and even a porch rebuild.

Structural Adjustments: Upstairs partitions got here down, an en suite and cloakroom have been added, and the lavatory is mid-revamp.

Tudor Secrets and techniques Uncovered: Authentic pargetting (decorative plasterwork) and curious protecting amulets—together with a woven lady’s shoe and two tiny leather-based youngsters’s sneakers—have been found hidden inside the chimney.

“It’s superb how skilful you turn into if you don’t have the funds for another person to hold out the renovations,” Lizzie laughs.

A Calm and Impartial Palette for Fashionable Residing

A cozy cottage living room with exposed wooden ceiling beams, a white sofa with pillows and a sheepskin throw, a potted plant on a wooden table, a window with curtains, a brick fireplace, and a floral painting on the wall.

Throughout lockdown, Lizzie discovered herself craving a soothing, uncluttered house. “Beams could make a room really feel busy, so I made a decision to drench all the pieces in impartial tones,” she explains. This pared-back method permits the cottage’s historic options to shine with out overwhelming the senses.

The consequence? A harmonious mix of rustic Tudor bones with a lightweight, ethereal aesthetic that feels each timeless and up to date.

See methods to grasp a impartial colour scheme.

The Primitive Residence: A Ardour Undertaking Turned Enterprise

A cozy cottage living room with exposed wooden ceiling beams, a white sofa with pillows a wooden primitive corner table, a brick fireplace.

Lizzie’s love for interiors developed into The Primitive Residence, a curated assortment of vintage and classic treasures, alongside handmade linen bows. “Our cottage has turn into an enormous a part of my model,” says Lizzie.

Her sourcing philosophy is straightforward:

Pure Supplies: Wooden, linen, and stone for heat and texture.

Timeless Design: Items that outlast fleeting traits.

Tales in Each Piece: From Victorian pine drawers to Georgian dressers, vintage rugs to grease work—every object provides soul to the house.

“I am keen on previous rugs and oil work—the extra put on, the higher. They’re such a straightforward option to inject character,” Lizzie shares.

Adorn a Impartial Residing Room

Residing with Character and Consolation

A cozy cottage kitchen with dining table is viewed through a doorway, featuring six chairs, a large woven pendant light, dish-filled cabinets, and a cat sitting on the table beside a vase of dried flowers.

Whereas the interiors have a serene, curated look, Lizzie insists the house is designed for actual life. “We’re outdoorsy and busy. Footwear-off, ultra-tidy simply isn’t us,” she says.

As an alternative, the cottage embraces:

Sturdy Flooring: Good for muddy paws and boots.

Outdated Rugs: Sensible, forgiving, and delightful.

Sink-Into Sofas: The last word spot for hearth lounging after an extended countryside stroll.

What’s Subsequent for Lizzie and Steve?

After 9 years, numerous DIY weekends, and an Instagram neighborhood cheering them on, Lizzie and Steve are making ready at hand over the keys to somebody new. “This cottage will all the time maintain the largest piece of our hearts,” Lizzie displays. “Our first house collectively, and the house that taught us so many new expertise.”

However for now, this Suffolk cottage stands as a testomony to the ability of ardour, persistence, and preserving historical past with coronary heart.

Get impressed by extra rustic farmhouse interiors.