A collector from childhood, Julie French is irresistibly drawn to anything she finds curious or beautiful. Her hunting grounds include favourite antiques shops, physical and online auctions, car-boot sales and even skips (with permission).
‘I’ve no idea where my collecting bug came from originally, but I remember enjoying car-boot sales with my family as a child. I loved seeking out things I knew I wouldn’t find in shops,’ she says. ‘As an adult, I began collecting tableware – mostly Art Deco or Victorian – but never had the room to display it properly.’
Moving to this Victorian manor house in the Lincolnshire Wolds over 10 years ago with her partner, Martyn Hill, meant that Julie finally had the space to display and use her collection of antique and vintage pieces – and her items come into their own in the kitchen and dining room.
‘I buy completely from the heart, disregarding chips or cracks, and am never too precious about my pieces. I like them to be used and enjoyed, and welcome the mismatched look for dinner parties, rotating pieces all year round,’ she says.
The former occupants left some large display cabinets, complete with hundreds of pieces of glassware,
including some stunning Victorian pressed glass. Julie cleaned every piece by hand and cherishes their legacy.
In the pantries she discovered antique bowls and cookbooks, which remain in place to acknowledge their part in the house’s heritage.
Julie and Martyn breed horses for racing, so moved to this property because of the acreage it offered. Although the house itself seemed much larger than they needed, the couple felt drawn to it from the start.
‘Our first sight of the manor was through torrential rain. But, as soon as we approached a clearing at the end of the long, tree-lined drive and the house revealed itself, we knew that the first place we viewed would also be the last,’ says Julie.
The inconvenience of relocating in the depths of winter did nothing to dampen her joy at discovering all the surprises that her new home offered. ‘The oak-panelled entrance hall alone is just incredible, and many more original features have revealed themselves over time, such as the servants’ bells, tiled and oak floors from the 1930s, and original ceiling roses,’ says Julie.
The first couple of years were dedicated to the functionality of the house, as there was no central heating beyond storage heaters, and windows had been painted shut. Gradually, Julie and Martyn tackled swirly 1970s carpets and woodchip wallpaper, while damaged architrave and skirting boards were professionally repaired.
Ready to plan a fresh look for the interior, Julie’s passion for the past led her to research the manor. She was determined to bring out the character of each room, restoring the feeling of a much-loved country home.
In the living spaces and bedrooms, Julie made the most of the curtains remaining in the house. ‘The cost of replacing dressings for such vast windows would have been enormous, so in the main we have left them in situ and worked the room decor around their colours, using existing furniture that we brought with us from Yorkshire. Some curtains may look a bit worn but I love their slightly faded look,’ she says.
Julie also feels confident mixing Victorian pieces with items from other eras. Fresh, floral fabrics and layered prints have instilled a classic vintage look with a gentle modern twist, and her unique finds, such as the display of vintage toys on the minstrels’ gallery, adds a dose of personality, infusing the house with a welcoming atmosphere.
‘My original goal was to bring out the particular beauty of this typical interwar country home, and I hope I have done that justice,’ says Julie.
The couple have recently begun to offer bed and breakfast to paying guests, which felt like a natural progression. ‘The house has always been too large for us, but now we’re able to share it with others who seem to find the location, gardens and the wildlife that live in the grounds as intoxicating as we do.
The house deserves to be enjoyed and appreciated, and we have had so much fun entertaining guests from all over the world, from all walks of life. Meeting them has been such a privilege. Eventually we will need to downsize and the house will pass on to the next generation to love it and live in it their own way.
But, until then, being here will continue to be a joy to us.’ northormsbymanor.co.uk
