‘We completely renovated the garden and Paul did the deck himself with boards from Travis Perkins. We spotted some stylish Aruba garden furniture in grey at Roxton Garden Centre.’

PHOTOGRAPHER: David Giles

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Explore this quirky and stylish thatched cottage in St Neots

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With their three grown-up children having left home, Kerry and Paul Ashby were looking to downsize from their previous four-bedroom property but stay in the area.

But after looking at more than twenty houses, they were starting to worry. 

Meet the owners

Kerry Ashby, owner of Rebel and Ashby interiors shop, @rebelandashby, her husband, Paul, a regional sales director, rescue dog Lissy, and cat Mr Kitty.

Kerry has documented her renovation @athomeatwalnuttreecottage. 

House details

A three-bedroom 18th century grade 11 listed thatched cottage with later additions near St Neots, Cambridgeshire. 

When they bought it

October 2021. 

The original bright pink exterior of the house wasn’t quite right for Kerry and Paul. ‘It was patchy and not an attractive colour.’ The faded black boarding has been repainted and the exterior is now a calm Purbeck Stone by Farrow & Ball, with a smart black front door.
The original bright pink exterior of the house wasn’t quite right for Kerry and Paul. ‘It was patchy and not an attractive colour.’ The faded black boarding has been repainted and the exterior is now a calm Purbeck Stone by Farrow & Ball, with a smart black front door.

“We’ve moved thirteen times since we got together, and renovated plenty of places, but this search was proving tricky.

“We’re not planning on moving again, so we wanted to get it right.”

After drawing up a list of their wants and needs, one house just wouldn’t go away.

“This house kept popping up, and we kept dismissing it. It was a listed period property with a thatched roof, neither of which was on our tick list.

“Plus, it had a stream at the bottom of the garden, which made us worry about flooding, and a downstairs bathroom, which wasn’t ideal.”

Swift sofas in Moss Green from Habitat give the living room a luxurious feel and walls painted in Farrow & Ball’s Mouse’s Back let the beams be the focal point. The leopard rug is the Octavia from Anthropologie which matches the Abigail Ahern leopard cushions from Rebel and Ashby.
A Rockett St George print of a Victorian lady makes a statement by the window, and Kerry has added in a wooden chest of drawers and a new blind using Caspian fabric from Emma J Shipley.
A Rockett St George print of a Victorian lady makes a statement by the window, and Kerry has added in a wooden chest of drawers and a new blind using Caspian fabric from Emma J Shipley.

Although it was a no on paper, eventually the couple went to look at it as they were running out of options.

“It wasn’t my style décor wise, but it had a lovely feeling. It sounds corny to say it felt like home straightaway, but it did.”

The couple knew they’d be taking on a complete renovation, and putting in a new kitchen and bathroom, but the existing extension across the back of the house was a big draw. 

“We loved the mix of the traditional thatch at the front and then the boarded low extension at the back which now houses the new kitchen and bathroom spaces.”

The built-in sink and worktop are in the same grey as the units to highlight the wallpaper and tiles. ‘The Not in Service sign is a reference to me being a terrible cook. I’ve got a lovely oven, which is completely wasted, but looks beautiful and that’s good enough for me.
The built-in sink and worktop are in the same grey as the units to highlight the wallpaper and tiles. ‘The Not in Service sign is a reference to me being a terrible cook. I’ve got a lovely oven, which is completely wasted, but looks beautiful and that’s good enough for me.
The built-in sink and worktop are in the same grey as the units to highlight the wallpaper and tiles. ‘The Not in Service sign is a reference to me being a terrible cook. I’ve got a lovely oven, which is completely wasted, but looks beautiful and that’s good enough for me.
The built-in sink and worktop are in the same grey as the units to highlight the wallpaper and tiles. ‘The Not in Service sign is a reference to me being a terrible cook. I’ve got a lovely oven, which is completely wasted, but looks beautiful and that’s good enough for me.
A seating area in the kitchen is Kerry and Paul’s favourite place to relax and the Payton velvet sofas in Petrol Blue by Furniture 123 are complimented by rust velvet curtains from Habitat, with a fun touched added by the Iris Apfel Safari Sapphire rug by Ruggable.
A seating area in the kitchen is Kerry and Paul’s favourite place to relax and the Payton velvet sofas in Petrol Blue by Furniture 123 are complimented by rust velvet curtains from Habitat, with a fun touched added by the Iris Apfel Safari Sapphire rug by Ruggable.
The central space in the old part of the cottage has six doors coming off it and Kerry has opted to go dark with Farrow & Ball’s Inchyra Blue on the walls. Using it as a dining area was the best option with a table from Argos, old church chairs picked up at an antique fair and a candelabra from Rockett St George.
To add a wow factor to the staircase to two of the bedrooms, Kerry has put Emma J Shipley’s Amazon Jungle wallpaper on the walls. ‘To give an extra focus I bought some gold leaf from Amazon and applied it to the treads, but it was nowhere near as easy as I thought it would be.’

Having completed on the property in October 2021, Kerry and Paul have worked their way through ever since, room by room, and doing a lot of the work themselves. 

“When we bought it, the house had acres of beige and wood, which is so not me.

“I love colour, I love wallpaper, and I love leopard print.”

When it came to the kitchen, Kerry opted for sleek grey units, with riotous floral wallpaper and deep yellow tiles. 

“We also created a seating area with tactile velvet sofas, which is my favourite place to chill. It looks out fields and we can watch the horses.”

The middle room in the old part of the house, behind the front door, was the space that caused the most problems and Kerry really had to use all her interior skills to sort it out. 

A combination of House of Hackney’s Pride Clay wallpaper and Javon leopard print carpet from Online Carpets makes Kerry’s office her favourite room in the house. ‘The other walls are painted in Abigail Ahern’s Hemp, and my desk is an old table which I picked up on eBay and gold leafed, while the chair is from Rockett St George.’
A combination of House of Hackney’s Pride Clay wallpaper and Javon leopard print carpet from Online Carpets makes Kerry’s office her favourite room in the house. ‘The other walls are painted in Abigail Ahern’s Hemp, and my desk is an old table which I picked up on eBay and gold leafed, while the chair is from Rockett St George.’
Local company St Neots Interiors worked with Kerry on the design of the new shower room and supplied the sanitaryware. Kerry has added strong colour with Artemis Sienna wallpaper, and Serpentine paint on the panelling, both House of Hackney, while the Zellica Ochre tiles in the shower are from Topps Tiles.
Local company St Neots Interiors worked with Kerry on the design of the new shower room and supplied the sanitaryware. Kerry has added strong colour with Artemis Sienna wallpaper, and Serpentine paint on the panelling, both House of Hackney, while the Zellica Ochre tiles in the shower are from Topps Tiles.
The mini utility room is painted in a glorious rich yellow, House of Hackney’s Umber, and Kerry has added a blue chest of drawers for storage and a memo board. ‘Originally we bought the drawers from an antique shop for upstairs, but they didn’t fit, so they’ve come in useful here for storage.’
The mini utility room is painted in a glorious rich yellow, House of Hackney’s Umber, and Kerry has added a blue chest of drawers for storage and a memo board.
‘Originally we bought the drawers from an antique shop for upstairs, but they didn’t fit, so they’ve come in useful here for storage.’

“It has six doors, two staircases and a large inglenook fireplace, so it was a nightmare when it came to furniture.

“It was virtually impossible not to block a door, so in the end we created a dining area there, and just put in an upcycled chest and a large green chair if someone wanted to read.”

Kerry opted to paint the space a deep blue to emphasise the lack of light, rather than hide it. 

“It’s dark and cosy, and despite it being completely impractical, I love it.”

The quirky layout of the bedrooms also gave plenty of food for thought. 

‘I bought this picture of a girl from a flea market, and I just loved the simplicity of it. It shows up well against Farrow & Ball’s Mouse’s Back on the walls and I’ve added an Abigail Ahern Rya Faux Sheepskin chair and Hallan Lambswool cushion to bring in a mini seating area.’
‘I bought this picture of a girl from a flea market, and I just loved the simplicity of it. It shows up well against Farrow & Ball’s Mouse’s Back on the walls and I’ve added an Abigail Ahern Rya Faux Sheepskin chair and Hallan Lambswool cushion to bring in a mini seating area.’ 
The two-tone scheme gives the main bedroom added interest, with walls in Farrow & Ball’s Mouse’s Back and Inchyra Blue. Upcycled side tables in Good Homes Fulham flat matt furniture paint by B&Q bring in a touch of red. ‘I’ve picked out the blue in the bedding, Emma J Shipley’s Jungle Palms, and the flamingo picture is from my own shop, Rebel and Ashby.’
The two-tone scheme gives the main bedroom added interest, with walls in Farrow & Ball’s Mouse’s Back and Inchyra Blue. Upcycled side tables in Good Homes Fulham flat matt furniture paint by B&Q bring in a touch of red. ‘I’ve picked out the blue in the bedding, Emma J Shipley’s Jungle Palms, and the flamingo picture is from my own shop, Rebel and Ashby.’
The second spare bedroom has Farrow & Ball’s Green Smoke on all the walls between the beams, Leopard Love bedding from Rockett St George and stunning Paloma Faith cushions. ‘I’ve carried on the red accent with an upcycled cupboard paint in Good Homes Fulham flat matt furniture paint at B&Q.’
The second spare bedroom has Farrow & Ball’s Green Smoke on all the walls between the beams, Leopard Love bedding from Rockett St George and stunning Paloma Faith cushions. ‘I’ve carried on the red accent with an upcycled cupboard paint in Good Homes Fulham flat matt furniture paint at B&Q.’
Built in boarded wardrobes have several size options and Kerry has painted them in Farrow & Ball’s Green Smoke eggshell to match the walls. A gold leaf light and a Berber style rug, both from Dunelm, add a personal touch.
Built in boarded wardrobes have several size options and Kerry has painted them in Farrow & Ball’s Green Smoke eggshell to match the walls. A gold leaf light and a Berber style rug, both from Dunelm, add a personal touch.
In the second guest bedroom, animal bedding, Jaguar Jungle by Emma J Shipley, is matched by Javon leopard print carpet from Online Carpets, echoing the carpet in the office, while the walls are off white. ‘A gold Farrar light from Dunelm catches the eye and I’ve framed a piece of Emma’s wallpaper that I used on the stairs to add a bit of drama.’
In the second guest bedroom, animal bedding, Jaguar Jungle by Emma J Shipley, is matched by Javon leopard print carpet from Online Carpets, echoing the carpet in the office, while the walls are off white. ‘A gold Farrar light from Dunelm catches the eye and I’ve framed a piece of Emma’s wallpaper that I used on the stairs to add a bit of drama.’

“We chose the bedroom at the top of the stairs as ours, because it’s bigger, but it’s open plan from the stairs.

“Our second bedroom is off that, which does have a door, but it’s still a little complicated. It’s ok if the kids are staying, but not so good for people we don’t know very well.”

Luckily, the third bedroom is up a separate tiny staircase on the other side of the house.

‘I think guests find it quite exciting to be up there.’

Refurbishing the bathroom was one major project that Kerry was absolutely desperate to happen. 

“The bathroom was ugly with a leaking bath. We’re much more shower people and as it’s the only bathroom in the house, we had to get it right.”

‘We completely renovated the garden and Paul did the deck himself with boards from Travis Perkins. We spotted some stylish Aruba garden furniture in grey at Roxton Garden Centre.’
‘We completely renovated the garden and Paul did the deck himself with boards from Travis Perkins. We spotted some stylish Aruba garden furniture in grey at Roxton Garden Centre.’  

Kerry worked on the design with local company St Neots Interiors to change the space into a mini utility area and a large shower room with a huge walk-in shower, incorporating her signature floral wallpaper, character tiles and plenty of colour.

She’s the first to admit that living in a three-hundred-year-old cottage isn’t always easy. 

“It’s nearly always cold, everything is wonky, there are steep staircases, doors where we don’t want doors and plenty of spiders, but we wouldn’t change it. We love it here.”

Putting secondary double glazing in the bedrooms has helped, and a big step forward has been getting rid of the huge wood pellet boiler and installing oil-fired central heating, which has also given them back their fireplace. 

Kerry’s office, complete with ostrich wallpaper, leopard print carpet and plenty of gold, has become the base for her new business. 

“I’ve always been obsessed with interiors, and in September 2023, I took the plunge and opened my shop in nearby St Neots, in a mews of lovely independent shops.

“It’s also online and I just adore choosing the stock.”

Being brave is one of Kerry’s mantras. 

“Your home should reflect your personality. It’s the little things that make it special. Add colour and quirky accessories if you want.”

And with her home now completely finished, Kerry will try and control her itchy hands. 

“I still can’t walk into a room and not think about changing it, so there will be rooms that change again. That’s just me.”

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