Natural materials paired with bold charcoal accents have brought depth, contrast and a quietly dramatic edge to this beautifully styled Cotswold holiday let.
Words & styling: Alison Gibb | Photography: Douglas Gibb
For Julie Daniells, the idea of managing a holiday rental emerged naturally as she and her husband Neil began to plan a slower, more flexible chapter of life. With their daughters having left home, downsizing felt like the right moment to reassess not just their space, but how they wanted to spend their time. What followed was a thoughtful search for a property that could combine lifestyle, creativity and long-term appeal.
“When we first saw the house, it just felt right,” Julie recalls. “It has five bedrooms, and the room sizes really impressed us. So many houses of this period around here, even larger ones, can feel quite cottagey in scale, but this had much better proportions.” The location sealed the decision. Set within a peaceful village between Chipping Campden and Broadway, the house offered tranquillity alongside easy access to some of the most popular Cotswold walking routes and market towns.
Purchased in April 2021, the property was structurally sound and well maintained, but its interiors felt tired. Julie was quick to begin shaping the home around a clear vision – one rooted in rustic simplicity, softened by contemporary sensibility. “I wanted the house to feel calm and welcoming, but still have character,” she explains.
One of the earliest and most impactful changes was made to the conservatory. The original glass roof had made the space almost unusable, turning it into an oven during summer and a freezer in winter. After consulting a local supplier, Julie opted for slate-look roof tiles – lightweight enough to be supported by the existing structure, avoiding complex building work. Combined with proper insulation, the transformation was immediate. “It’s now comfortable all year round,” she says. Two generously sized rooflights were added to flood the room with natural light, ensuring the adjacent sitting room retained its brightness and connection to the outdoors.
Throughout the house, Julie introduced subtle changes that delivered maximum impact. Painting the uPVC windows dark taupe on the exterior and deep charcoal on the interior instantly elevated the building’s character, giving it depth and definition. Essential upgrades followed, including a new boiler and updated electrics. Traditional-style radiators were installed to better suit the age of the property – though not without lessons learned. “We’d already laid new flooring when we realised the pipework needed upgrading,” Julie admits. “Having to lift it all again wasn’t ideal, but you live and learn.Rather than employing an interior designer, Julie immersed herself in research. “I’ve spent a long time educating myself,” she explains. “I really wanted to understand what I like, what works and what doesn’t, rather than relying on someone else to make those decisions.” That careful consideration is evident in the finished result.
Find out more at doversrise.co.uk.
The story behind the feature
This month I am sharing a particularly beautiful holiday property in the Cotswolds, a favourite part of the world for me and a brilliant place to visit. We act as scouts for interiors magazines, and I am always looking for properties of interest that I can write about. Please let me know if you know of any interesting home or garden, with a strong sense of style that might work for a magazine feature, I would love to hear about it. You can find out more on my website alisongibb.co.uk.
