Sarah Beeny and her husband Graham Swift have spent years creating their dream home in Somerset – and it’s not hard to see why the former Property Ladder presenter is so smitten
Sarah Beeny’s Somerset abode, familiar to viewers of Channel 4’s ‘Sarah Beeny’s New Life in the Country’, has been a monumental labour of love for the property aficionado. Alongside her husband Graham Swift, the former ‘Property Ladder’ host has meticulously crafted an extraordinary space, boasting a boat lake and recording studio, for their family of four boys.
Years of design, planning, and decoration have gone into this project, not without its fair share of drama, but the final product is everything Sarah and Graham envisioned a classical, traditional yet cosy and comfortable dwelling that truly feels like home, she revealed in an exclusive chat with OK! magazine. The house, nestled within 220 acres of stunning countryside, was constructed in a blend of Victorian-Georgian style, mirroring what would have originally stood there if there had been a building to refurbish.
However, in an unfortunate turn of events this week, Sarah, 53, has been told she must demolish a large extension built without permission on her £3 million countryside estate. The extensive renovation, which transformed her Somerset home into what has been described as a “mini Downton Abbey,” was featured in her Channel 4 series Sarah’s New Life in the Country.
Her decision to expand the property without full approval has sparked a long-running dispute with both local authorities and residents. Some critics have even compared her actions to Hannah Ingram-Moore, daughter of the late Captain Tom, who illegally built a spa complex on her property and was later forced to remove it. Ingram-Moore had claimed the structure was partially used by her father’s foundation.
The TV star has been locked in a six-year battle with the local council and neighbours over her ambitious plans to remodel the rural estate, which she purchased in 2018. The council originally granted permission for a new house on the condition that the existing 1970s farmhouse and its outbuildings were completely demolished.
Rather than tearing the old house down, Sarah extended it further, adding features like French doors and a first-floor balcony. She later applied for retrospective planning permission, but the council rejected the application in May. Sarah and her husband, Graham, appealed the decision to the Planning Inspectorate, but their case was dismissed last week. Now, with an active enforcement notice in place, demolition of the unauthorised extension appears inevitable.
The council issued a statement saying they are “reviewing the case in respect of further action,” adding that the enforcement relates to a breach of planning conditions that required the original farmhouse to be demolished.
When it comes to their specularular home, despite its warm and inviting atmosphere, one thing it certainly isn’t is minimalist, a point Sarah is quick to clarify. “I’ve been with my husband since I was 19, and living with someone that long, you end up with an ‘us style’,” she explained. “Our styles are similar and we are classicists, traditionalists. That’s partly because of how we live. I’m a bit chaotic and if you have a traditional interior, it weathers being shambolic. I love minimal interiors, but you’ve got to really keep them tidy.”
Within the sprawling 200-plus acres, you’ll find a picturesque boat lake and a brand-new boathouse a project Sarah embarked on, driven by her curiosity in the craft of thatching roofs, with it being “the smallest thing we could think of to thatch”.
Adding to the estate’s appeal is an ultra-modern studio, kitted out with recording facilities, potential areas for film sets, and some stunningly-designed bathrooms featuring one of Sarah’s top flooring choices – vinyl.
“Historically, they’ve had bad press but when you find a cool print, it can look fantastic,” she noted, advocating for the pattern-heavy vinyl floors as a practical yet stylish option, ideal for concealing wear and tear, particularly in a bathroom used by her four boys.
Amid the trove of antique bookcases, solid oak desks, and shaker-style kitchen units, Sarah’s most treasured possession resides within another of the home’s bathrooms a custom brass toilet cistern. “[It has] Swift and Beeny Sanitary Engineers printed on it it’s lavish and ridiculous,” she chuckled. “We brought it from our old house.”
For Sarah, who announced in 2022 that she was facing breast cancer, making the estate feel like a true family home took on extra significance due to her sons – Billy, 20, Charlie, 18, Laurie, 16, and Rafferty, 15. Having lost her own mother, Ann, to breast cancer when she was just 39 and Sarah a mere 10 years old, this mum of four confesses to being incredibly sentimental when it comes to the pieces she lives with.
Thankfully, for her own children, the situation is different as they have their mum very much present and eager to cherish every moment together. “Home is really important for me,” she expressed. “But it’s not about how it looks, it’s about how it makes people feel. My mum died when I was quite young and I’ve been sentimental since then. I’ve released myself from some of it now and I’ve realised that my kids aren’t sentimental at all.
“We had a long chat around the fire the other day. They said, ‘Mum, we’re not sentimental because you’re here. You’re sentimental because you hung on to all the things that reminded you of your mum, but you’re our mum and you’re sitting right here.’ And I realised it was so true. Maybe I should let some stuff go.”
Sarah describes their home aesthetic as traditional, which she believes suits their lifestyle, especially with the inevitable disorder that comes with family life.
“I’ve been with my husband since I was 19, and living with someone that long, you end up with an ‘us style’. Our styles are similar and we are classicists, traditionalists. That’s partly because of how we live. I’m a bit chaotic and if you have a traditional interior, it weathers being shambolic. I love minimal interiors, but you’ve got to really keep them tidy.”
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