Hillside is very much the unique creation of internationally renowned antiques dealer and interior designer, Holly Johnson. She bought the property during her first marriage, and it was in need of significant work to turn it into the kind of home she dreamed of.
‘When I moved in 21 years ago it was a typical 1970s, brick-built house and it was awful, but the land it sat in was wonderful. It took three years to move through all the planning stages and at that time we had to maintain the footprint, but apart from just a couple of walls, it’s pretty much all new.
‘I love the Arts and Crafts movement, and am particularly inspired by Voysey (English architect and furniture and textile designer, 1857-1941), so decided to change it to that style. We had some restrictions, but essentially we built around the shell of the '70s house and made it into an Arts and Crafts house.
'My first marriage failed, sadly, during this time and work slowed down dramatically. I would save some money and do the next part, then start saving again. It took another eight years before it was finished. My plan was always to sell it or rent it out, but by this time I had by this time met Ben (Aardewerk), who is also an antiques dealer, from the Netherlands. He decided to move here to be with me, and we married and had a son, Zachary, making Hillside our family home with my two daughters from my first marriage.
‘Then six years ago, Ben and I put in the swimming pool and the garden room, which are two of my favourite spaces.’
The house is beautiful, inside and out. Holly and Ben have created stunning gardens, with a lake, and the views from almost every room, across the bright Cheshire countryside, are breathtaking. There are tennis courts and, as well as the beautiful gardens, the meadows surrounding the house form part of the 5.8-acre estate. The building itself has an Arts and Crafts style exterior, with a slate pagoda-style roof, deep bay windows, and copper downpipes.
Internally, all the panelling and flooring is reclaimed, using limestone flags, oak parquet and 19th-century oak panels, which have been cleverly planned into an otherwise luxurious home filled with contemporary comforts, including a bespoke David Lisle kitchen and garden room bar. Holly has decorated throughout in classic Arts and Crafts style, with designer wallpapers, hand-carved solid oak doors and period-style radiators.
‘We love it here,’ Holly says. ‘We have worked very hard on the gardens and recently added a vegetable garden. I have developed my own cutting garden, and now I don’t have to buy any flowers from March to October. We have rewilded the meadows and love to walk the dogs around each day; there’s always something new to spot, the biodiversity is wonderful. It’s really like a traditional manor house, with large gardens to the front and rear, meadows, a lake, vegetable gardens, a swimming pool and tennis courts. There are two annexes as well, one above the garage and one on the side of the house, where full-time staff such as a housekeeper and gardener, might live, or where family can stay.
‘I shall really miss the pool,’ Holly adds. ‘It’s a great size; we use it every day, and the gym. We’ll miss the tennis courts, and the lake, and the walks... We walk to The Bells at Peover quite often. It’s great for kids, we’re close to Knutsford. It’s been wonderful here.’
It sounds rather like Holly isn’t actually that keen on moving.
‘Oh, I am,’ she laughs. ‘You're right, it does sound bizarre, but I love a project and always need to be doing. We have just completed two huge projects for clients and finished a long-term one in Spain, and have what could be a moment’s lull, if we let it. Rather than just start going all around this house again, I want a new project I can start from scratch, to bring a house to my idea of a home, again.’
‘My daughters have now both flown the nest, so it’s just Ben, Zachary and me. I am still on the right side of 60 and think if we don’t do this now, we may run out of time, or energy.’
Holly and Ben want to stay in the area; Zachary is at school close by, Holly has her antiques store in Knutsford and they both love the location, but their itch to be designing and building again means someone else can benefit from this glorious, unique home.
Hillside is for sale for £4.2m, though Jackson-Stops Alderley Edge
jackson-stops.co.uk
