< Previous10 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY HOMES Grand on the outside yet cosy on the inside, the owners of this former Georgian farmhouse have created a stylish home fit for the family. D own a quiet lane in the South Lincolnshire Fens one will come across a handsome Grade II listed building. The former Georgian farmhouse has been brought into the twenty first century, with its owners, David and James, transforming it into a stylish home during their three years here. David said: “We have completed a lot of decorative work, particularly downstairs, in the lounge and kitchen most recently.” Deep hues have been painted on walls and ceilings and oversized lighting put up, creating a sense of modern cosy comfort inside A fashionable former farmhouse A fashionable former farmhouse 10-15.qxp_Layout 1 23/06/2021 07:36 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 11 HOMES that contrasts the grand nature of the property on the outside. The family have also installed electric underfloor heating in the kitchen and living room, and much of the downstairs has been laid with a design mimicking herringbone timber in practical LVT. Over 200 years ago Whaplode House was a rather large farm, at the time on the Crown estate. Now, the home is split into two residences, with Lincolnshire Today’s featured property of the month the most substantial part, presenting four big double bedrooms, one of which has an en-suite, and a single bedroom which could be used as a dressing room. The abode also holds a spacious family bathroom, with a centred bathtub and separate shower, and three reception rooms, as well as a small cellar. The family’s favourite room, however, is the kitchen. “For us it is the hub for the 12 Á 10-15.qxp_Layout 1 23/06/2021 07:36 Page 212 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY HOMES family,” David said. “We have two small children and spend a lot of time cooking, baking, and listening to music - the kitchen is our go-to place.” Inside, the house offers high ceilings and a wealth of original features, including period fireplaces, panelled doors, and moulded arches. Meanwhile an abundance of natural light floods into the property through the large sash windows. Also worth note is the property’s original oven in the dining room, that would have been used years ago, and the home hosts a lovely built in bread oven, though this is in need of restoration. Whaplode House is also an ideal family home, with its garden room, leading from the dining room at the back, being utilised as a playroom. The wall of bifold doors here, that open on to a terrace, offer stunning views of the garden and countryside beyond, and in the summer provide a refreshing current of air, especially when opened alongside the windows to the front. The terrace meanwhile is backed by an old, south facing wall and is perfect for relaxing and entertaining in the sun. A further paved area faces east down the other side of the house, onto which the back door opens. Outside of the property, in the 10-15.qxp_Layout 1 23/06/2021 07:36 Page 3LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 13 HOMES garden, stands a significant outbuilding with studio space, which bathes in light, an office and a workshop, great for those working or running a business from home. The studio building is currently used as a spacious gym, but could be employed for a variety of activities, for instance for an art or yoga studio. 14 Á 10-15.qxp_Layout 1 23/06/2021 07:37 Page 414 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY HOMES The garden itself is predominantly lawn, low maintenance, and is shielded by a mix of evergreen and deciduous trees, including fruit trees and a walnut. It is also visited by birds, particularly a lot of pheasants, and hare. Not overlooked, the garden is very peaceful and gets sun all day. The property also presents parking for three cars at the front, with room for a further car down the side. Despite enjoying their time at Whaplode House, David and James are now selling the striking property, which sits on the edge of Whaplode village and around fifteen minutes from Spalding. The home is on the market for £450,000 through Fine & Country. 10-15.qxp_Layout 1 23/06/2021 07:37 Page 5LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 15 Fireplaces – Fires – Stoves Burning Sensation (Grimsby) Ltd Armstrong Street, Grimsby. DN31 1XD Call: 01472 351651 sales@burningsensation.co.uk www.burningsensation.co.uk Visit the showroom to see our fabulous selection of fireplaces, fires and stoves in traditional and contemporary styles. Choose from wood, micro and natural marble, granite, limestone and cast iron with a huge choice of fires and stoves in gas, electric and solid fuel including multifuel and woodburning stoves. There is also a great selection of fireside accessories including log baskets, companion sets, cleaning and maintenance products and some lovely accessories for your home. PREMIUM MULTI-FUEL STOVES & FIRES ELECTIC & GAS FIRES AND SURROUNDS We have an extensive range of fireplaces, multi-fuel and wood burning stoves along with a magnificent collection of gas fires, electric fires and surrounds on display at our showroom in Boston, Lincolnshire. Our stunning selections from leading British and Scandinavian manufacturers such as Elgin & Hall, Jotul, Chesneys, Dimplex, Valor Contura and Arada to name but a few, means we cater for all tastes. Our friendly and helpful staff are always on hand to give you some ideas and help to guide you with your purchase. Visit our showroom or call us today on 01205 310 327. Church Road, Boston PE21 0LG | Tel: 01205 310 327 E-mail: sales@bostonheating.co.uk | www.bostonheating.co.uk Available on iPad & iPhone Visit our website to start viewing today... www.lincolnshiretoday.net Ideal for those who spend time away from their office Digital Editions Never miss an issue Read on the go! 10-15.qxp_Layout 1 23/06/2021 07:37 Page 616 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY ARTISTIC LINCOLNSHIRE captivating This month we explore the works of Ben Jeffery which range from pop culture perfection to stunning animal studies and landscapes. From Cap to Ben Jeffery was born in 1986 and grew up in Barnet, north London. He always had a keen interest in art ever since his grandfather introduced him to the work of John Varley, the renowned 18th century watercolour artist. But it was more than just an aesthetic appreciation as the Varleys are related to the Jeffery family. Ben first realised he wanted to be an artist in secondary school. Along with a few classmates, he used to have bets to see who could draw the best portrait of someone. He really enjoyed going to school and showing them to see their reaction. He painted a portrait of his dad for a mock GCSE which got admired by the entire art class. He continued to study art to degree level. He received a lot of guidance and advice throughout the years but his technique is mostly self-taught. When studying art at college and university, he was mainly left to his own devises. He was given a subject and asked to come up with a portfolio of work and to develop an idea to a few final images. Teachers didn’t teach him techniques, which meant he had to learn on his own. He always wanted to paint with oils and come up with colourful detailed paintings, this wasn’t always well received by his tutors, but his classmates were always quite impressed with what he came up with. It was then that Ben picked up methods and techniques to get the mark making he wanted with oil paints. It’s a case of trial 16-17.qxp_Layout 1 23/06/2021 07:39 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 17 ARTISTIC LINCOLNSHIRE and error a lot of the time, trying new ways of controlling the paint, from there his style has evolved. A lot of the time a painting evolves as he paints it. Ben always has a basic composition in mind, but he lets the brush come up with the shapes and he chooses colour almost on the spot. Other times Jeffery sees an image in his head and quickly sketches it out. He normally works in two stages: he first paints the entire canvas in base colours. After it has dried, he paints a second layer, adding more and more detail. After he finishes a painting, he leaves it a day or so before looking at it THE LITTLE RED GALLERY Love art? Then we’d love to meet you, please call in for a cup of tea and a chat. The Little Red Gallery are feeling ‘Love’ with a fantastic range of pieces and perfect gift ideas. 8 Bailgate Lincoln LN1 3AE 01522 589134 art@thelittleredgallery.co.uk www.thelittleredgallery.co.uk searches on the internet for concept artwork and gets a lot of inspiration from that type of imagery. Jeffery also gets a lot of inspiration from views around him: his parents have a house in the Herefordshire countryside and one on the Isle of Harris and both have stunning views which constantly give him ideas and inspiration. Ben’s work is currently available to view and to purchase at Lincoln’s Little Red Gallery. You can also see more of his work via www.benfjeffery.com. again, this helps Ben pick up on areas that need changing. His work is fairly diverse, ranging from portraits to landscapes, in both pencil and oils. He loves working with vivid, bright colours to create a unique and modern style. He is huge sci- fi movie fan, and he loves special effects. There was a time after he finished University when he wanted to be a concept artist for films and video games. Ben tried digital painting and got very good results, but paint just has a depth and feel that can’t be beaten. He still @benjefferyartist benjefferyartist 16-17.qxp_Layout 1 23/06/2021 07:39 Page 218 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY ARTISTIC LINCOLNSHIRE Old School Crafts is a versatile craft hub in the heart of rural Lincolnshire where you can indulge your creative and artistic passions and develop new skills – all in the surroundings of a beautiful Victorian village school. In the summer of 2012, David and Zoe moved into The Old School in Minting not knowing exactly what they wanted to do with the empty school building. However, with them both being teachers, they could see the potential for bringing it back to life as a place of education and creativity. Since closure in the 1960s it had been a workshop and bakery but needed a lot of TLC. Both share an interest in traditional manufacturing techniques and crafts and so creating a craft centre where people could learn new skills seemed the obvious thing to do. Unfortunately, just as things were getting started, Zoe was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and so they had to put things on hold for a year whilst she underwent a successful course of treatment. That behind them, the second launch was delayed by the arrival of a global pandemic but now they are excited to be putting on courses in a wide range of arts, skills, and crafts. Already, there are workshops in bookbinding, crochet, painting, willow weaving and felting with more courses to be added in the future. They are working with several local artists and artisans to create a thoroughly diverse offer. The couple’s shared passion for creating useful and beautiful objects by hand comes through and they are keen to pass on this love to everybody who attends the workshops. David’s main New lessons at The Old School 18-19.qxp_Layout 1 23/06/2021 08:37 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 19 ARTISTIC LINCOLNSHIRE interest is bookbinding having chanced upon a stash of binding equipment in a local antiques centre. “Making a book using techniques which go back hundreds of years is incredibly satisfying” he says. Zoe has skills in many arts and crafts but is most drawn to fibre arts including spinning, weaving and crochet. “Turning raw fleece from the back of a sheep or alpaca into a wearable garment is a long but ultimately satisfying process that makes us truly value the natural materials used and the skills of the maker,” she says. David and Zoe have created a warm and welcoming place to learn new skills and crafts. Creating an object from scratch which is both useful and aesthetically pleasing is a great way to relax and so if you are looking for ways to recharge your batteries and improve your mental well-being after lockdown, Old School Crafts would be a great place to start. You can find more about Old School Crafts and book your place on a course at www.oldschoolcrafts.co.uk. Their own handmade products are also available in their Etsy shop ‘Oldschoolcraftslincs’ and you can find them on Instagram (oldschoolcraftsminting) and Facebook (@oldschoolcraftsminting). Versatile Craft Hub in the heart of rural Lincolnshire We offer a variety of courses and workshops in a range of crafts and activities. This well-resourced venue is also available for hire for crafters to run their own workshops, training, meetings or other events. School House, Minting LN9 5RT. Tel: 01507 578617 Email: oldschoolcraftsminting@gmail.com www.oldschoolcrafts.co.uk oldschoolcraftsminting @oldschoolcraftsminting 18-19.qxp_Layout 1 23/06/2021 08:37 Page 2Next >