In 1999 when she was a medical student, Annalise Cross rented a house in a village near Cambridge. "It was a converted pub and had bags of character," she recalls. "But after years of being let out the place was run down as well as being dark, gloomy and cold."

Nevertheless, Annalise was smitten with the villa and often dreamt of making it hers. Years later, after she married Justin, the couple decided that his cottage nearby was far too small for them. "Having grown up in South Africa, I was used to more space," Annalise explains.

"Justin and I had accumulated lots of stuff before we married, so joining together two households required a much bigger house."

As a consequence, the Crosses embarked on a property search. Then, after looking at dozens of places in and around the city, and making several unsuccessful offers Annalise remembered her old rented home. "Although the villa needed lots of work, I thought we could turn it into something special - if the owner was willing to sell," says Annalise.

"Despite its faults, the house was big and roomy, and its location was ideal for commuting to work." By a stroke of good fortune, the owner was contemplating a move himself, so the deal was sealed."

Once the villa was theirs, Annalise and Justin outlined their wishlist to architect Nigel Walter. "We wanted to relocate the living areas away from the street to the back of the house," says Annalise. The couple had an open-plan design in mind, with wooden floors and underfloor heating.

"We wanted to retain the period feel but add a modern twist," Annalise continues. "The main problem turned out to be a single-storey 1920s extension at the side of the building which didn't match the original, 19th century architecture."

Nigel suggested pulling it down in favour of a new two-storey structure, comprising a sitting room downstairs with the master en-suite bedroom above.

The contractors moved in while Annalise and Justin relocated nearby. "We rented a flat from some friends," Annalise says, "it was ideal, as we could visit the house every day and keep an eye on the project as it progressed."

In due course the interior was gutted, while the mystery of the villa's chilly atmosphere was solved when it was discovered that the quarry floor tiles had been laid on bare earth. Within a further six months, two new bathrooms, the media room and the master suite were in place.

However, Annalise still had decisions to make. "I needed to understand how the light affected the house before updating the decor," she says. "But I was so busy with work, I didn't have time to source paint and fabric swatches."

Instead, Annalise brought in designer Cate Burren to help dress the interior. "We used our collection of artwork as a starting point for the schemes," reveals Annalise. "Many of the walls were kept neutral to act as a backdrop to the colourful paintings and prints."

With the villa fully furnished, Annalise and Justin are delighted with the results. "I adored this place first time around, but now it's lighter, warmer and much quieter," Annalise enthuses. "It really is our ideal home."

Original article featured in 25 Beautiful Homes August 2011. Images courtesy of Mark Scott.

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