Sharon Phillips renovated the beautiful Dunnett Granary

When Sharon viewed the house, she knew that she could greatly improve the interior. “I knew there was something missing” she explains. “I think you have got to base the interior style around the type of property that you live in.”

The property is surrounded by the beautiful countryside at the foot of the Mendip hills, so the outdoors has a large influence upon the interior of her home. Sharon has worked hard to renovate this house and in just five weeks, she managed to transform this oak-covered, old fashioned cottage into a modern and beautiful country haven.

Sharon’s main focal points, when redesigning the house, were colour and texture. A fool proof colour palette of beige, grey and white was used to ensure all furniture and home accessories were suitable for the style of the interior. The aim for Sharon was, quite literally, 50 shades of grey.

“I suppose I also wanted to focus on texture. I have used sheepskin, brick, stone, tile, wrought iron, driftwood and so on” Sharon explains. “Textures are really important. You can have stripes with checks for example, as long as they are in the right colour and tone.” In the lounge there are cushions and sofas that are striped, checked, and plain, yet these textures all work well together because of the similarities in tone and colour.

Small interior accessories emphasise the beauty of the design in every room. In the kitchen, there are jars filled with knives and forks and another filled with tiny eggs - gorgeous little reminders that you are the room in which the food is prepared.

In the lounge there is a jar filled with corks and lights, a subtle suggestion that this is the main social room in the house. These home accessories are brilliant; they are homemade and can be tailored to fit within any household – all you need is a jar and smaller items that are significant to the room you are in. “It is having those little points of interest that are really important” Sharon comments.

Sharon admits that most of her budget was spent on paint and painters, but there is also a fair amount of tiling and wallpapering within the house. “The tiles used in the kitchen I brought from Mandarin Stone” Sharon admits. “They are crackle glaze tiles and because they are so lovely, I decided to tile to the top of the window. I think it is much nicer than stopping halfway up.”

Sharon admits that the dark wooden beams made the downstairs seem incredibly dark. “I wanted to go for that Scandinavian look, so I just whitewashed the beams and sanded them back” Sharon explains.

The dark beams have been kept in the main bedroom and they contrast surprisingly well with the beautiful, white, antler chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Using the original hook already placed in the room meant that this huge furnishing was up in a record time of five minutes! Coupled with a beautiful antique bed that has been covered with a grey material means that the main bedroom is full of grandeur, whilst remaining wonderfully modern.

If you are looking to renovate or move into your own house, Sharon has some great advice. She comments: “if you haven’t got your furniture to hand, then measure everything. It is impossible to guess where pieces of furniture will fit.

“I don’t ever go with what is fashionable, I think you create your own style. Don’t be too restrictive – the task becomes more difficult when you go shopping with an exact item in mind and you can’t find it. Look for the things that you love, I always think if you really like something you will find room for it somewhere.”

If you would like to find out more, visit dunnettgranary.com