House that inspired Peter Pan author J M Barrie in West Stow near Bury St Edmunds receives timeless makeover by architect Katerina Turner

A house which inspired the author of Peter Pan has undergone a timeless makeover by an international interior architect.

The Old School House in West Stow, near Bury St Edmunds, was a small-one classroom school when headmistress, ‘Miss Cole’, befriended Scottish writer J M Barrie who wrote the children’s classic Peter Pan in 1911.

Barrie was walking in the school's gardens in 1899 when he was fascinated by a gnarled Scots Pine with exposed roots so he sketched it.

The drawing was passed onto his illustrator Arther Rackham who made it into the illustration of The Lost Boys’ (characters in Peter Pan) underground hideout.

As part of a major renovation of the school, the current owner Katerina Turner has recently transformed the home into an exhibition of her design skills.

Turner, 45, is an international interior architect as well as a notable artist and has reimagined the property.

Before work began on any room Turner – like Barrie himself, imagined it in pen and ink, and from these drawings the reality came to life.

Each room has been designed in an eclectic and individual way and despite the extensive repair and modernisation of the property, Turner was steadfast in her belief to preserve the history and natural beauty of the original design.

“I created a narrative for myself that we had just inherited this home and should respect its history and stories,” she said.

“So that meant we avoided the shiny and new where possible and instead integrated a lot of vintage and antique second-hand fittings and furniture.”

The old parts of the home have morphed into a modern contemporary living space thanks to its warm wallpapers and furnishings .

Turner added: “I believe this juxtaposition between the old and new doesn’t jar – but in fact is very harmonious.”

The Old School House is currently for sale and being marketed by Fine & Country.