Case study - A country cottage extension

When Jonathan and Nicola Cope decided to extend their cottage in rural Monmouthshire they were looking for lighting and homewares which felt at home in their 19th century property.

Jonathan said: “The original part of our cottage dates back to 1843 and it stands in a beautiful location high above the Wye Valley, and the historic ruins of Tintern Abbey.

“We’ve loved living here for more than 20 years now and decided to invest in an extension to the property when the children had grown up and left home.

“We worked with an architect and skilled local builder to develop a sensitive, c-shaped extension which sweeps around the original stone-built cottage creating a new kitchen to the left, a hallway around the rear and 16 foot square garden room to the right.”

The Cope’s home improvements have taken three years in all to complete and they have taken great care to ensure every detail is in keeping with the style and ambience of their original home.

“We found Nigel Tyas Ironwork via an advertisement in Country Living and chose the company’s lamps to light our new garden room and hallway because we loved the design and enjoyed the quality. We are absolutely delighted with them and they receive no end of compliments from friends, visitors, builders and other tradesmen!

“It was natural for us to keep returning for more items. Nigel Tyas’ products are an essential and integral part of our home furnishings. We consider these purchases as investments in our own enjoyment and fulfilment.”

The couple enjoyed a trip north to have a look at our showroom to help them decide which products and designs were right for them.

They have 8 large Illions table lamps (50cm tall) in all. They are finished in natural black, fitted with our recommended LED bulbs and topped with dupion silk shades.

Jonathan and Nicola also fell for our little mascot product, Brian the Snail, when they came to visit. They bought two Brian hooks for hanging aprons and oven gloves on – and these now provide an eye-catching feature on the side panels of the architrave around their range cooker.

Finally, at the very heart of the home is another Nigel Tyas product. A set of spiral-topped fireside irons stand in the hearth of the cottage’s original living room.

The Cope’s have extended their beautiful family cottage, creating new modern living spaces in keeping with their historic home. We are delighted to have contributed handforged ironwork to their finished project and wish them every happiness in their rural idyll.