How an old village pub was transformed into a cosy home

Kate Pinnock has poured love into a rural former coaching inn, celebrating its heritage and filling it with old and inherited pieces for cosy modern living

When an ancient pub changes hands, the new owner isn’t just buying a property, but inheriting years of goodwill and merriment infused into the fabric of the building. And that’s precisely what drew Kate Pinnock to buy and rescue an old pub in 2019. Based in a north Hertfordshire village, the timber-framed building with a brick Georgian front dates back to the 1500s when the village was an important stopping point on the coaching routes between London and Cambridge.

With a background in historic building conservation, Kate is no stranger to seeing potential. However, she wasn’t initially searching for a fixer-upper: ‘Having said I didn’t want a project, I fell in love with this place the first time I walked through the door. I think it was because it so needed some love and it had a nice feeling.’

Her first five weeks as the new owner were spent with no electrics, followed by six months of scaffolding to fix chimneys, missing tiles, damaged bricks and windows that were threatening to fall out. Since moving in, she has tackled the renovation room by room, including the damp caused by faulty gutters and leaking roofs.

For Kate, the pub’s original interior dictated the decor, calling for a modern rustic feel. ‘I try very hard only to use natural materials, whether that is for soft furnishings or finishes,’ she admits. ‘I like things to age naturally and beautifully, in a way that only natural materials can.’ Natural fibres offer a gentle touch, creating a cosy feeling in the bedrooms, which are nestled under the eaves in the pub’s loft. ‘I’ve tried hard to let the house do the talking and not detract from the building,’ says Kate.

Although she rarely buys new furniture, with the majority of pieces inherited from family, when it came to sourcing suitable storage for the living room, Kate is proud of her flatpack project, made from a series of IKEA Billy bookcases. ‘I designed them so they look built-in but don’t touch any of the historic fabric and have a space for maintaining airflow down the back.’

The generous inglenook fireplace is her favourite spot in the house. ‘It really comes into its own in the winter. There’s something very special with the fire roaring away and having drinks with friends in front of it. It’s lovely to think that it has been the backdrop to similar scenes for hundreds of years.’

Get the look with Kate’s sourcebook

Jim Lawrence – Handcrafted home furnishings and lighting

The Primitive Home – Rustic antiques, from wooden dough bowls to European vintage benches

Blacksmith Collection – Bespoke wrought-iron curtain poles made by blacksmith Daryl Ford

Loriest & Co – A collection of 12 luxury scented candles for each month of the year

Check out more of Kate’s natural rustic decor @myoldpub, where she shares atmospheric photos and peaceful videos of the historic space.

WORDS: CASSIE FAIRY