Inspired by its historic links and architecture, author Marion Husband is in the process of renovating her Georgian home in Norton. She talks to Ruth Addicott about the improvements so far

AS a writer and award-winning author, Marion Husband is rarely short of inspiration. She has a black and white photo of a handsome soldier from the First World War on her desk and a house that is full of history.

Marion, who was born in Middlesbrough and brought up in Stockton bought the four bedroom Georgian property in January with her husband. The house which sits half way between the shops and green in Norton High Street, dates back to 1760 and is believed to have been built by a friend of Captain Cook (it’s known locally as The Captain’s House).

“It had been neglected for years, so it was a case of redecorating to get it back to scratch,”

she says.

The windows all needed replacing and they had to get the electricity up to modern standards.

Having renovated previous properties, including an Edwardian house in Eaglescliffe and a more modern 1950s house on Darlington Road, Stockton, Marion did a lot of work herself, ripping out the carpet and re-painting the sitting room, living room, kitchen, hallway and stairs. She found the house quite dark when they first moved in so she brightened it up with lighter shades of green and cream.

“I’m very messy so the biggest mishap was getting paint on my best handbag and mobile phone,” she says. “My mother kept calling and every time I’d answer the phone, it got covered in paint.”

One thing experience has taught her is to avoid dark colours and go with her instincts.

“I’ve done the walls in neutral colours and brightened up the rooms with rugs and cushions which you can change more easily, but I try not to spend too long thinking about it as it can be a bit bamboozling,” she says.

The farmhouse-style kitchen has a more relaxed feel with a low ceiling and French doors leading out onto the garden. Both the doors and windows in the kitchen needed to be replaced as well as the skylight in the roof to create more light. The oak floors in the kitchen and hallway have been cleaned and revarnished and Marion transformed the kitchen units, painting them a soft coffee colour to blend in with the ivory walls.

“I had an old Welsh dresser which I painted and did the alcoves to match,” she says.

“I tried to keep it casual with floral print cushions, Laura Ashley chairs and nice pottery on the dresser, so it’s quite a relaxing place to sit.”

The house has two sitting rooms - one of which has been converted into a study and is where Marion spends most of her time writing.

Although the windows look out onto the High Street, she says it’s too much of a distraction and has to face the wall to concentrate.

“I have a picture on my desk of a soldier from the First World War who’s very handsome. I saw him and thought he’s the character from my books, he’s my inspiration, so I cut it out and put it in a frame,” she says.

The 30ft drawing room is also full of character with French windows, a beautiful fireplace, cornicing and high ceiling.

Upstairs there are four bedrooms, including one in the attic with a window seat and potential for an en suite. The only improvement they’ve made upstairs so far is redecorating the master bedroom. It overlooks the garden and has a lovely old fireplace, coving and a built-in wardrobe, as well as an en suite with a walk-in shower, wash-hand basin and loo. The second bedroom also features a window seat and original shutters and has been converted into a study for her husband.

ANOTHER stand-out feature is the beautiful red and green stained glass window on the ceiling of the landing.

As their two children have grown up, the only other member of the household is Patch, their long-haired black and white Jack Russell.

“This is his third move so he’s not that happy, but at least he has a huge garden to run around in,” says Marion.

The couple haven’t done that much to the grounds apart from weeding and cutting back the brambles. An original Georgian wall runs down the left hand side and the back of the garden along with a 30ft tall bay tree which is still flourishing. One surprise was the huge summer house at the bottom of the garden which has electricity and modern decking and is ideal for entertaining. “It was completely overgrown when we first saw it, we didn’t even realise it was there,” says Marion. “The house had been empty for so long, a fox used to come and sun himself on the lawn.”

Close to the green, shops and the hugely popular Cafe Lilli, the house is in an ideal location for Marion, who has drawn a lot of inspiration from the local area for her novels. “It’s such a nice place to live,” she says. “It’s everything I wanted,” she says.

  •  For further information on Marion’s novels visit marionhusband.com