The Traitors returned to our screens last night, which means it’s time to revisit our occasionally updated but often popular series of ‘Houses that look a bit like Claudia Winkleman’. If you are unaware of the previous edition of this, feel free to bring yourself up to speed here.
Today’s entrant is this disarmingly charming chocolate box cottage in West Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. It is for sale for £1.95 million with Savills and it is more thatch than house, a key component on the Winkleman-scale. Much like Claudia herself, it is impeccably presented. It is, somewhat predictably, called Thatch.
It also has a notable owner, Sienna Miller, who bought the property in 2004 to 'escape' the pressures of stardom. 'I bought the house on a whim — it offers a sanctuary,' she told Architectural Digest in 2022. 'I also wanted somewhere where family and friends could gather. It has a nurturing feeling; it is a home with a heart.' It is also a home that looks a bit like the host of The Traitors, Claudia Winkleman.
Might be one of the best-dressed kitchens I've seen.
Boasting five bedrooms, three reception rooms, and four bathrooms, the property has been lovingly cared for and improved by the current owners, mixing a rustic feel with fine fittings where appropriate. As an example, take a look at the glorious kitchen with its stylish Lacanche range cooker. Did I know what a Lacanche range cooker was before writing this article? I did not. Do I now want one? Yes I do.
The home as a whole is styled wonderfully, to the point where I would certainly be asking for certain goods to be included in the sale. I love the cracked porcelain used as a wallpaper. I love the soft tones that very from room to room, the antique ‘scrapyard’ feel of so much of the fittings, the wallpapers, the abundance of chinoiserie. Art gallery meets family home, yet somehow so quintessentially English.
Clearly I am not the only well established and brilliant journalist to feel this way, considering that the property featured on the cover of both the Architectural Digest and US Vogue. It is, and this feels silly to say because it is so obvious, listed Grade II.
That quintessential charm extends beyond the walls, you will be delighted to hear. Situated just outside of the village of West Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, the property occupies a quarter of an acre of the Chilterns National Landscape, with an immaculate and private garden that features lawns, a pond and wildflower meadow.
The gardens also feature a converted garage known as The Outhouse, which is used as either a one-bedroom ancillary living space or as a creative studio. Considering the beauty of the property, it is perhaps no surprise that an artist might use it for inspiration.
Thatch is for sale for £1.95 million with Savills. For more information and pictures, click here. And for more pictures of Ms Winkleman's incomparable fringe, click here.
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