- Oct 2, 2024
- 6 min read
Our pick of the dreamiest houses on the market at the minute.
In researching this feature, my heart broke a million times over. I sifted through countless homes, expecting to find charming interiors behind gleaming facades—just needing a tweak, a tuck, or perhaps a new table. Instead, what greeted my eyes were spotlight-filled boxes with walls as flat as proverbial pancakes. It makes you wonder why people insist on ruining old houses. If you want a new home, why not simply buy one? Instead, it seems people rejoice in scraping any former beauty off the bones of these old loves and inserting the copy and pasted interiors of the developer.
Rant over—now, to the homes I’ve selected. Some I chose solely for their interiors, and others I picked in spite of them. If you love them, they’re the former; if you loathe them, they’re the latter.
This 6,000 sq ft property is precisely what my eager eyes have been searching for. The TV room alone made my heart feel right at home. Here is what I was after—a house that's been lived in, in fact, by the same family since the 1930s. I’ll admit, it could use a bit of elbow grease, but in the right hands, it has the potential to become a truly delightful home, and I will fight anyone who says a walled garden isn't the height of elegance and maybe even the meaning of life.
The houses in London are the worst offenders in terms of the trend for favouring the faceless nausiating interiors that are sniffing about. I’d even go so far as to say that the more money people have, the less likely their home is to have a beautiful interior. But I found this gem in Chelsea—a steal at seven million (and that’s not even counting stamp duty). While it may be out of reach for most of us, there’s so much charm here that I had to include it on the list.
I think we are all united in wanting this house. It’s one of those houses that, even if you don’t realise it, you will have seen a photograph of it. It possesses one of my favourite bathrooms, which was featured in World of Interiors when Marianna Kennedy lived there. It also has the sweetest roof terrace, and I believe the upstairs sitting room the ideal blue ceiling. Shall we all go in on it together and take hourly turns?
This is part of a larger property, which you would think would be ideal for this list. However, I am ever so slightly intimidated by managing such a big property, as even in my dreams it gives me a headache. So, I have opted for the far more manageable property on the estate. It may still look like an office, but we both know that one of us could turn it into a magnificent home.
So, I'm not going to sing you a song about how glorious this property is, but come on—we can all see that the bones of this place are solid. It was built in 1766 and originally made up part of the Wallington Estate. In 1970, it was separated and has been owned by the same family ever since. It is just waiting for some kind, well-heeled owner to come along and get this place back to its 18th-century best.
I'm going to hazard a guess that anyone over 30 will know this place, especially those who read Tat. At least, I hope so. It's the home of the Bennet family from the BBC adaptation of Pride & Prejudice—one of my all-time favourite pieces of television. To own this home? Well, that would be very nice indeed, I would go around the place muttering 'You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.'
You have to give it to them, Inigo & Modern House, do nail the photography. I am sure it's a practice that would be hard to organise and probably rather costly, but the difference it makes is undoubtedly in the thousands. This property is prime example, under any other lens it could look tired and warn, but under the eye of someone who cares the house would be a worthy editorial. I personally admire anywhere that can boast 10 bedrooms and has a history that dates back to the Doomsday Book.
For me, this home really does take the Aberffraw biscuit. Not since Bardot have we seen a more ravishing visage. My advice to whoever is lucky enough to get their hands on this place is to revelle in the design laid out before you and change as little as possible. It has clearly been restored to an exceptional standard, with great care and thought put into every inch. It’s a mighty legacy for the next fortunate dwellers to inherit.
Curtain swags and blue carpet—it’s a lot, but hey, it’s eye-catching. Personally, I love the idea of a bath in the middle of a room on a platform, just as it should be. Other choices are less my vibe. But I have to say, any house that looks out onto the water is right up my street. What could offer better relief from the anxieties of modern life than a bath on your platform and a drink in your sitting room, with the doors swung open, looking out at the bucolic scene in front of you?
So ignore my previous statements where I said I couldn't manage a large house. My new dream is that I have won enough money via the lottery to hire a very well paid house manager. This house manager would help me get this pinkish delight into fine form. The architectural elements of ths palladian mansion makes my heart feel oh so happy.
Just a modest red brick, nothing too ostentatious. Some of the detailing might be a little out of my league, but I feel I could make it work. I will make it work. The interior choices are a bit mixed, with each room feeling like it could belong to a different home. But overall, this is a dream house purely for the windows and the deconsecrated church alone.
Where are all the millionaires and why aren't they banging down the door for this piece of heaven? Yes it needs a lot of work, but good work. This house could be my ideal, a place that seemingly feels you are hauld up in the contryside but instead you are a stones throw some of the best parts of London.
I have to admit, this one made the list purely on the strength of its facade. There are a few things that don't quite float my boat, but I’m sure the underground "club" could be repurposed or maybe just covered up entirely. Other than that, there’s plenty to work with—lots of architectural elements that will need to be incorporated into your own taste. But we’re creatures of compromise, so I’m sure we’ll manage just fine.
I know many of you would dive straight into redecorating, but for me, I could live with these interiors for quite some time. I adore the idea of sipping martinis in the drawing room. It really taps into my Jilly Cooper fantasy - not in that way. More just wealthy woman sips martini and listens to gossip in her chintzy sitting room.
I feel like I’ve seen this house before—perhaps it even made its way onto an Airbnb listing—but either way, it's a "new" addition to Inigo, and it’s completely heartwarming. Who could imagine living in a place like this? Not me—it feels almost too good to be true. The interiors are perfect, offering an excellent canvas for you to unfold your interiors vision onto.
Comments