The owner of an architectural salvage firm in Norfolk has transformed her holiday home into a cosy cottage for Christmas.
There’s not a straight-edge in sight at Louise and Sam Coster’s home in Hingham – and it’s all the better for it.
The couple run Mongers Architectural Salvage, which is a paradise for those who love period homes, renovations and sustainability.
They’re dedicated to reusing and reclaiming quality pieces from the past, whether it’s a fireplace, bathtub, loo or light, as well as offering genuine, hands-on expertise about how to reclaim, reuse, upcycle and recycle and therefore reduce the number of things heading to landfill.
Their shop in Hingham offers around 2,000 sq ft of showroom space and adjoins their family home, which they currently share with their dog Betty and cat Hector.
At the back, accessed through a small gate in the garden, is Bank House, their 15th century, timber-framed cottage which Louise rents out as an Airbnb.
It’s thought to be one of the oldest buildings in Hingham, which was once known as Little London after a group of 18th century socialites flocked to the area and built a series of magnificent houses overlooking the square.
Although Bank House pre-dates this and is much more modest, it too was an important part of town life, adjoining what used to be the town’s bank and providing a home for the bank manager – although it sadly fell into disrepair when the bank closed.
“It was completely and utterly derelict when Sam bought it,” Louise says. “It was listed but nobody wanted it and it sort of just fell into dereliction when the bank closed. It was literally falling to bits – he completely restored it.”
The cottage also shares similar features with the main house, such as its medieval paintings, which Louise believes links the two buildings. As a result, she thinks they were probably once owned as a pair.
Inside, Bank House is full of all the charm and character you would expect from a country cottage of its age. There are exposed beams and pamment floors, a big fireplace and original walls constructed out of wattle and daub – but there are mod-cons, too.
The kitchen is fitted with modern appliances, including an oven and grill with a ceramic hob, fridge freezer, dishwasher, washing machine and microwave, and there’s a smart TV in the sitting room too.
Almost everything else in the space is reclaimed, Louise says, including the floorboards which were created out of a former aircraft hangar in Dereham. “It was the airbase that just kept giving,” she says. “I don’t think I’ve got one bit of furniture that’s new.”
Originally, the cottage was a single-storey building with a thatched roof, although a second storey was added later on and is now accessed by a wooden staircase.
The upstairs bathroom has also been built using reclaimed items – bathrooms are, in fact, Mongers’ speciality – and includes a restored roll-top tub and loo with an antique high-level cistern.
Louise, a former fashion designer, has made a lot of the soft furnishings herself – including the lampshades, cushions and her lockdown project, which was to pad some of the cottage’s lower hanging beams.
A real highlight, for me, is the master bedroom, which combines the property’s wonky beams, exposed bricks and antique floorboards with a huge leaded window that overlooks the garden.
Bank House has been a holiday cottage for around 12 years and on Airbnb for the past five, and Louise says it attracts a real mix of guests – from families and couples to those wanting a girls’ weekend away.
At Christmas, Louise also goes down the reclaimed route for her décor, using a mix of natural foliage, candles, and traditional, country-style decorations to transform the cottage's everyday charm into a cosy celebration – complete with a real tree and a roaring fire.
When I visit again in early December, she’s captured the essence of a wholesome, cosy Christmas, with candles lit on the mantelpiece and fresh clementines in a bowl by the tree that twinkles by the sitting room window.
The woodburning stove is lit, the Bridgewater crockery out – laden, I notice, with fresh goods from the local bakery – and even the hops framing the huge inglenook in the kitchen sparkle and shine.
Louise really has thought of everything, with the table laid and a stocking waiting by the door.
To find out more, follow Louise on Instagram at @reclamationandroses.
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