Handmade haven for a new start
Snug Cottage is pure shed heaven, painted in pretty primrose overlooking a beautiful garden in a picture perfect North Yorkshire village.
It's the sort of blissful studio/retreat that many of us dream of, and its sunny colour and jolly interior represent a happy ending to a sad riches to rags story.
Snug's owners Nicola and Stephen Hall now have lots to smile about, despite losing almost everything they had including their home, business and most of their money.
Three years ago the couple had an enviable lifestyle, splitting their time between their tax haven home in the Isle of Man, their factory in the North East and a London shop.
They were directors of CVO Fires and they helped revolutionise the gas fire industry with their contemporary designs. They were the toast of top architects and interior designers who adored their fabulous store and restaurant CVO Firevault.
But after their designs were shamelessly copied by mass market companies, the business hit rock bottom in May 2007, went into administration and was eventually taken over in a buy-out.
"It was horrific. We were propping up the business using our own savings and in the end we were paying wages using credit cards," says Nicola.
The stress brought on a heart attack for former financial director Stephen and he and Nicola had to sell their home and move in with his parents in Coneysthorpe, part of the Castle Howard estate.
"That's how Snug Cottage came about. It was a retreat from the house where I could go and have some personal space.
"My father-in-law Alan helped build it from a summer house kit and it's perfect," says Nicola, 44, a former art director. She sought solace there and began reworking some of the crafts she learned from her mother and great grandmother.
"My great grandma taught me how to crochet and I've always done it and mum was a great sewer. I've always loved making things.
"It's incredibly relaxing. You just switch off and create pretty things," says Nicola, who also grows her own fruit and veg. "If someone had told me 20 years ago that I'd be happily making jam, wearing an apron and messing about with bits of ribbon I would've laughed, but it's wonderful."
Nicola, who is also a qualified herbalist, has made curtains for the "cottage" out of remnants of Laura Ashley fabric, candles from vintage china tea cups, cushions from old embroidered tablecloths, and hand-made soaps, crocheted bags, little felt hearts and an array of handmade items that would sell in chi-chi shops, but cost very little to make.
They are now part of an enterprise run by Nicola, Stephen and his sister Carolyn Van Outersterp, another creative crafter. They have branded themselves Nifty Thrifters and their aim is to teach others their crafts. HQ is Snug Cottage, which is full of treasures from sequins and buttons to braids to bits of fabric Nicola has hoarded for years.
"I've always collected everything from buttons and ribbons to old labels and fabrics. I've got boxes full and I've carted them with me whenever I've moved. I've had some of the stuff for over 30 years and everything else I've found on eBay or in charity shops," says Nicola.
"Nifty thrifting is about using things that people want to throw away and being creative with them. One of the tablecloths I used to make a hop and lavender comfort with was from a charity shop and it cost 2.
"People don't use them any more but an incredible amount of effort and love has gone into embroidering them and they are so beautiful. It's great to give them a new use."
The Nifty Thifters have also helped to rescue the village hall, which was under threat of closure through under-use.
"We'd talked about doing Nifty Thrifter weekend courses and the hall was ideal for that. We're also planning swap, sew, bead and crochet evenings for local people to swap and jazz up their clothes," says Stephen, 52, who also runs a successful life coaching programme called "If Life Changes, Then Change Your Life". It's based on his own experiences.
"It's about dealing with change and using it as a positive. Two years ago we felt lost, our confidence had gone and we were on a big guilt trip, but now we're pleased it happened," he says.
After Stephen's parents moved, he and Nicola took on the rented house and began working from home on various projects, from eBooks on crafts and herbalism to freelance design and life coaching, and now Nifty Thrifting weekends.
"It's incredible how things turn out. At the time we lost the business, people said it might be for the best, but I didn't believe them at the time.
"They were right. I wouldn't swap all this for our old lifestyle, which had prestige and glamour but was really stressful," says Nicola. "We really are poorer but happier."
For more information on Nifty Thrifter and If Life Changes courses, tel: 01653 648368, www.niftythrifters.co.uk
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Weather for Yorkshire
Tuesday 07 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: -8 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: -5 C to 0 C
Wind Speed: 7 mph
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