Cotswold Revival

“I wanted to create a cosy, calm home that brought together both old and new architectural features.” says Bee Osborn who runs Osborn Interiors, an international interior design business specialising in hotel and residential design.  “Using natural materials and a variety of textures, the goal was a simple, an understated but luxurious space.”

 
This project is personal, as the tumbled down two up two down cottage and its brand-new extension, would become Bee’s new home.  The choice of materials used were paramount to Bee’s vision of a calm and nurturing home.  “I wanted to build on what was already there, the natural beams, stone and thatch” she says. 
 
Alongside interior wood cladding and painted floorboards, one key choice was the use of lime plaster.  Bee chose Lime Green’s Solo One Coat Lime Plaster to revive the original building’s beautiful aesthetic and historic character while adding a traditional twist in the modern extension.
 
Bee added: “Every material was carefully considered to enhance and work with the old building.  Lime is a timeless product and gives character in a way modern plasters don’t.  Lime Green sent me some samples and I loved the texture it created. It’s a very modern take on a traditional cottage.”
 
 
About the Project
 
For many of us an unexpected road detour to work doesn’t result in the renovation of a near derelict bakery, but that’s exactly what happened to interior designer Bee Osborn on the way to her studio in Chipping Norton.
 
Having previously renovated nine properties and having just sold one of the most recognisable homes on Instagram, a doppelganger for the famous cottage in ‘The Holiday’, (even though that cottage doesn’t really exist in real life). 
 
The sale of that property was the start of a two-year adventure to rescue and revive the old bakery. 
 
Gaining planning permission for her vision was one of the hardest aspects of the project and Bee fought hard to retain original features and reinstate a thatched roof, something that was initially turned down.  Unperturbed she stood her ground and planning was approved. It’s difficult to imagine the cottage without it now. Groundworks then started on the new extension whilst the roof of the old cottage was rebuilt ready for the thatch.
 
The new extension replaces once derelict outbuildings.  Clad in blacken wood and filled with natural light, it now houses a sociable kitchen and family room. This leads through to an elevated dining room, where the old kitchen was. Two bedrooms in the original cottage now have their own bathroom one with micro shower the other a roll top bath.  In Bee’s master suite, an end of bed roll top bath not only makes great use of the space but also feels indulgent.
 
 
Material Choice
 
Lime Green’s Solo One Coat has been applied to the entire downstairs and two bedrooms in the old cottage.  Being in the interior design business Bee has worked with a few favoured plasterers, her chosen one for her own project hadn’t used lime plaster before but found the
process simple and easy to apply.  A coat of Duro Lime Plaster basecoat was applied to the stone walls before a top layer of Solo One Coat Lime Plaster was applied.
 
Duro is a general-purpose lime undercoat plaster. Suitable for most masonry backgrounds.  Great for renovation, conservation or eco-friendly new builds, Duro lime undercoat offers superior levels of breathability - perfect for walls with damp or salt problems since water can evaporate easily and does not remain trapped where it can damage stone, brickwork and wood.
Developed to give a high-quality finish, Lime Green Solo® Onecoat lime plaster is a perfect labour and time saving interior lime plaster. Unlike standard lime plasters, Lime Green Solo doesn't always need an initial base coat.
Applied as normal, it can be finished in many different styles, from a smooth regular finish through to rustic or textured plaster finishes. With no waiting for a first coat to go off, this makes it faster to apply so more wall area can be completed in a day, making Solo Onecoat the perfect product, especially for smaller projects where it's not possible to use ‘waiting time' to work elsewhere.
Bee says: “Although the plasterer hadn’t worked with this product before, he found it really easy to apply. The natural finish means it’s not entirely smooth, so it picks up the light in different ways at different times of the day giving a lovely soft glow.”
 
Simon Ayres, owner of Lime Green said: “It’s always really gratifying to see our products used in creative ways and in beautiful spaces.  Bee has created a home that she loves and is completely in keeping with her design aesthetic, we hope she will be very happy there for many years to come.”

 
Natural Materials
 
Her previous homes and her work reflect a love of natural materials, simple luxuries and rooms where texture rather than colour does the talking. Bee said: “I love the fact that the Solo Plaster isn’t even and looks very natural.”
 
Bees project is also a great example of how lime can be used on both old and new homes, hers incorporating elements of both. It’s very much in keeping with what old building would have been decorated in, the lime allows the walls of the old cottage to breathe. While the use of lime gives new properties a ‘lived in’ feel.
 
The completed project is a masterclass in Bee’s understated style.  Natural materials, neutrals and considered textures enhance the original features which the modern extension sits perfectly alongside to create a natural, cosy and welcoming haven.
 
Luxury doesn’t have to mean over the top opulence, in fact Bee’s use of a subtle, understated design created a luxe feel without being over the top.
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