This house in central Harrogate has had a gorgeous makeover

It started life as a bungalow but has benefitted from a series of extensions and now has three storeys and a fabulous rotunda.

The Coxons contribution to the property’s evolution included adding a garage, re-landscaping and putting their own stamp on the interiors.

Claire had plenty of her own ideas on what to do with the rooms and also took inspiration from Instagram, where she posts as @crystalsprings123.

The result is impressive and helped the house win a place on the books of Yorkshire based Lifestyle Locations, a library of properties showcasing a range of great places suitable for film and photography shoots.

The galleried, curved reception hall in the rotunda is stunning thanks to its bespoke staircase, marble tiles and clever dressing by Claire, who added an orange sofa for a pop of colour, a collection of houseplants plus the stand-out hanging gold stars from Rockett St George that help fill the double height space.

“The rotunda has a glass ceiling and I was considering getting a chandelier to hang down the stairs but I got the gold star to put up at Christmas and I was so pleased with the way they looked I left them there.

“They were very inexpensive but effective in what was a difficult space to fill,” says Claire, who also added pizazz to the downstairs cloakroom with tropical print wallpaper.

She had a head start as the top-end Italian kitchen, with its sleek white cabinetry, was already perfect, though she has added colour and interest to the room with a yellow. “The previous owners had a more minimalist taste while I am more of a maximalist,” she says.

To that end, she invested in a fabulous wood-burning fire for the sitting room, along with shelving either side to hold some of the family’s books, which have been placed in order of colour.

The mural wallpaper on the back wall, which features a curve from the rotunda, was a £50 bargain buy from Dunelm.

“We also insulated the floor and put oak parquet flooring and underfloor heating in, which makes a big difference,” says Claire, who shops in a mix of high street and online shops with vintage finds, designer maker buys and the occasional Ikea piece and top dollar purchase thrown in.

“I like to get value for money but I splash out now and again, including on a Matthew Williamson for Duresta sofa,” says Claire, who is a fan of Graham and Green and Rockett St George.

A small flight of stairs leads down into the open plan kitchen, dining and snug area, which has a series of bi-fold doors and picture windows bringing in natural light.

Claire had a head start here as the top-end Italian kitchen, with its sleek white cabinetry, was already perfect, though she has added colour and interest to the room with artwork and a bright yellow Ikea cabinet that she turned into a drinks cabinet.

An extending table with chairs from Barker and Stonehouse fills the dining space and the extra large rattan lights add extra oomph.

The Matthew Williamson sofa is the undaunted star of the snug, which also has a zebra print rug.

On the first floor, there is a laundry room, a main bedroom suite with bathroom and dressing area, four further bedrooms and a shower room, which have been redecorated.

The stand-out “under the sea” bespoke headboard in the guest room was made by Harrogate-based interior designers Fabric and Co. The shower room was refitted with new black fixtures.

The top floor has a family/cinema room with a second utility room plus a house bathroom, which has a faux living wall panel from Bundleberry by Amanda Holden.

The outdoor space has been redesigned and includes a porcelain tiled terrace with sitting areas plus a sunken al fresco dining area with pizza oven and pergola.

The extra large plant pots flanking the front door are by Yorkshire-based www.bigplantpots.co.uk.

After getting everything inside and out picture perfect, it will be a wrench to say goodbye but that’s what Claire and her husband are planning.

“We love the house but we are downsizing to something slightly smaller, which will give me a chance to redecorate again,” she says. “I’ve already started planning it.”

*Claire Coxon is on Instagram @crystalsprings123 and find Lifestyle Locations, TV, photography and filming locations, at www.lifestylelocations.co.uk

On the Doorstep: The Valley Gardens in Harrogate are beautiful, Grade II listed public gardens flanked by Cornwall Road in central Harrogate.

Harrogate Borough Council and the Friends of Valley Gardens group do a sterling job in caring for them.

They are open all year round and have a variety of different gardens. The floral displays are spectacular and include magnificent seasonal dahlia and bedding flowers that are re-planted throughout the year.

The gardens are continually being restored and regenerated andinclude a bandstand, tennis courts, pitch and putt golf course, crazy golf, boating pool and a children's play area.

Most footpaths in the Gardens are suitable for the majority of manual and electric wheelchair users and there are disabled toilets. Visit www.friendsofvalleygardens.co.uk.