Our House: Amanda Holland's overhaul makes her a perfect Golcar home

Feb 16 2010 By Emma Davison

WHEN Amanda Holland bought her period home in Golcar her goal was to overhaul the interior.

Out went the dated features, but one particular piece of the property’s history wasn’t going anywhere.

In fact the 44-year-old ended up designing a bedroom around the piece of furniture she inherited with her home.

Amanda, a design student, explains: “There was this huge mahogany dresser in one of the bedrooms, which the previous owner hadn’t been able to move because it was too big.

“It’s probably as old as the house, but I have no idea how anyone managed to get it up there – I couldn’t even move it across the floor.

“In the end I ended up designing the whole room around it, with more traditional features including a chunky four poster bed.

“It’s actually a lovely piece of furniture, in really good condition, and it’s nice to have inherited something that is a part of the house.

“But it’s a shame that when I move I probably won’t be able to take it with me.”

Amanda had always lived in older properties in the past, including a barn conversion and 1930s house.

She had broken away from type and purchased a new build, but soon reverted back to a more traditional style.

Amanda looked at dozens of properties over a year before she spotted a gem of a house in the Wellhouse area of Golcar.

She says: “It was tucked away down this little private lane, in the kind of place that’s really peaceful because nobody knows it’s there.

“I knew it was the house for me as soon as I saw it, it felt so private.”

The property, named Anthorp House, was built just after the turn of the century in 1903.

It was once the village rectory and a lot of its original features have been retained.

Says Amanda: “I do love older houses and this house was a lovely shape with big square rooms and high ceilings.

“It had some fantastic Victorian features. I particularly loved the two little stone faces above the front door, which are very unusual, and the sunburst stained glass window.