interiors - Lesley's domestic love affair.

(From The Northern Echo)

Byline: SARAH FOSTER

Most of us can only dream of having a house custom built for us, but when your husband's a builder, it seems a shame not to. Women's Editor SARAH FOSTER takes a tour of Lesley Brewer's stunning abode LESLEY Brewer didn't want a house, she wanted a swimming pool. For years she badgered her husband Geoff to grant her wish. Now not only does she have her pool, she has a breathtaking home surrounding it. Understandably, she's pretty pleased. The day I meet Lesley, the heavens have opened. It's a gruesome, rain-soaked day and yet her house, with its open views of rolling countryside, still looks spectacular. She tells me how it came to be. "We used to live next door, " she explains. "This was a work shed belonging to Geoff, who's a builder, and it was employing just a few members of staff. I used to say to him 'I wish you'd build me a swimming pool' - instead of that we had a pond - and I kept going on about it. When he knew he could get planning permission, he decided he was going to build a house and a swimming pool, which was a bit of a surprise because it certainly hadn't been on the cards." The next step for Geoff and Lesley, who runs a dating agency, The Introduction Company, from a separate wing within the house, was to test their visions on an architect. They found support in Peter Rayment. "We sat down one day with Peter Rayment, from Peter Rayment Design, and in one fell swoop, he was able to interpret our ideas perfectly - absolutely spot on, " says Lesley. "This was a south facing plot, so we thought maybe if we could create some sort of patio, that would trap the sun. And we wanted a nice paved area where we could sit out and look across the river and that's what we have." At this point Lesley starts a tour of her sprawling home, at the highest point of the village of Brawby, in rural North Yorkshire. Our first stop is the cavernous hall. "I'd always wanted a great big hall so that I could open the door and be quite happy about receiving somebody into a nice, spacious, very welcoming area, " says Lesley. Drawing my attention to the portal itself, she adds: "This is my lovely big solid oak door, and I like the lights (two torch-like structures on either side) as well. Then, of course, there is this stunning stained glass window." If the overall look is of a Spanish villa, this is Lesley's wish - she and Geoff just love Spain: even the floor is Spanish-influenced. "These are black bouchons - authentic Spanish tiles, " Lesley points out. "The larger ones are terracotta." Moving through to the living room, the change could not be more pronounced. Where rustic colours filled the hall, now icecool cream with striking notes of black and red are all around. Lesley says this is her haven. "It's just serene isn't it?" she asks with obvious pleasure. "If you want to fall asleep and have a ...