Kelly Brook sells her £1.45 million farm in Kent

Kelly Brook has sold her charming £1.45 million medieval farmhouse after renovating it over 16 years in what she called a ‘never-ending labor of love’.

The model, actress and media personality, 43, who is known as an avid cook and gardener, bought her 15th-century home on four acres of land in 2006 for £975,000.

An estate agent listing said a sale had been agreed earlier this month for the ‘immaculately presented’ property in Kent.

Kelly, who has co-hosted the Heart’s Drivetime radio show since 2019, is said to have spent tens of thousands on the transformation of her historic oak-beamed home and accompanying gardens, which she described as her “refuge” from the world of show business.

The house she shares with her model husband Jeremy Parisi, 38, and their cavapoo dog Teddy has a heated outdoor pool, wildflower meadow and outbuildings, including an orphanage.

Green-fingered Kelly, who also owns a £3 million home in North London, regularly posts photos of her garden in Kent on her Instagram account which has 1.3 million followers, often using the hashtags #kentlivingwithkelly and #homesweethome used.

Her three bedroom house in Kent dates back to the 14th century and is built in the half-timbered style, traditionally built in Kent.

The property has an open plan kitchen and dining room with handcrafted units, a Belfast porcelain sink and a Rayburn oven which Kelly uses regularly for home cooking.

It also features a vaulted dining and living area with a fireplace and a separate sitting room separated from a TV room by a partition wall.

Upstairs there is a first floor dressing room with a Jack and Jill bathroom.

On the grounds there is a large ornamental pond, a freshwater spring, a small maze with boxwood hedges, an orchard with apple and pear trees and even a laburnum walk.

Estate agents Savills describe the property as an ‘enchanting’ house ‘set in beautiful gardens and grounds’.

The sale details stated, ‘This beautiful property has been extensively renovated and refurbished by the current owner, retaining a wealth of period charm and character, including exposed woodwork, reclaimed elm floors and diamond stained glass windows.

‘It has underfloor heating throughout and features stylishly furnished accommodation over three floors.

‘Reception areas consist of a drawing room with woodburning stove, an adjoining sitting room, study and a pretty family room with a staircase leading up to the part-vaulted kitchen/breakfast room.

‘Charles Hurst’s bespoke kitchen/breakfast room has deVol handles, taps and countertops made of fossil stone.

‘Off the central hall is a utility room and bathroom fitted with Aston Matthews sanitary ware and Carrara Marble splashbacks.’

The estate agents added: ‘The first floor is accessed via two separate staircases leading to two double bedrooms with heavy beams, connected by a luxuriously fitted bathroom.

‘There is a dressing area and a staircase leads from bedroom two to a bedroom in the attic. There are several connecting ponds meandering into a stream.

‘Mature hedges separate the formal gardens from the kitchen garden with raised beds and a beautiful stone barn.’

Last week Kelly spoke to The Sunday Times Travel about her house, and admits that the renovations have not always gone smoothly.

She explained: “I bought a country house 15 years ago because I liked the idea of ​​driving out of town for the weekend, lighting the fire and turning on the oven for family visits, but you also have to deal with the failure of the boiler. and mice in the pantry.

“So when Soho Farmhouse came along, it was just like my house, but with lots of staff doing everything for you, like making your bed or bringing you a burger in the middle of the night.”

Kent-born Kelly, who married her husband in Italy last July, told House Beautiful magazine in 2018 that she fell in love with her home because of the “magical quality” of the garden.

Describing her work on it, she said, “Anyone who’s owned a historic property knows it’s a never-ending labor of love.”

“I wanted the house to look old, so I worked with an architect, removing the plaster to expose the house’s frame and original beams. But although it looks old, it is super economical and has underfloor heating.

‘The interior style is rustic shabby chic, so I can’t go crazy with color. Downstairs I kept it mostly creamy white with Farrow & Ball’s Pointing.

‘I used the Peignoir for my bedroom and an olive green color for the library and bar. There is a trend for dark kitchens and I recently repainted mine in a deep green color which I am very happy with.

‘I replaced the showers with cast-iron bathtubs, which better suit the style of the house.

“Many rooms have fireplaces, including the kitchen, where I have two George Smith recliners close by, which makes the space feel more comfortable and cozy.”

She added in the interview: ‘I think some people expect me to have plush velvet and diamanté everywhere, but my style is classic – I like to go to antique shops to buy trinkets and I collect Portuguese cabbage plates.

‘My grandfather and mother were avid gardeners, but they had small urban gardens. My mother still kept chickens and grew vegetables, but she would have loved a garden like mine – I realize I’m lucky. Gardening is hard work, but great to clear my head.

“I have learned so much in the last 10 years. There have been some failures – trying to grow French Lavender in Kent soil was one! Living here really made me think more about nature.

‘Now I have the garden the way I want it. I have created a wildflower meadow to support the insects and natural grasses for the rabbits.

‘Autumn is my favorite season – the house is so cosy. I put fleecy throws of Avoca on the sofas and beds, we chop wood to make logs for the fires, and I start cooking stews and curries on my Rayburn.

‘At the top of the meadow is a small festival area where it is beautifully lit at night. I love having friends and family over for a pork roast served with delicious homemade applesauce and coleslaw.

‘There’s a shepherd’s hut there and I’ve put up tents from the Sahara. I always have plenty of friends who want to come and stay – it’s my own little paradise.’

In another article in the Daily Mail’s Weekend magazine in 2019, Kelly recalled how she wanted her restoration work to showcase her home’s original features.

She said, “Many beams were covered; modern radiators hung on the walls. So I had it stripped down to its bare bones while discreetly having subsurface heating installed under the new elm floors.

“Now I describe it as a classic car with a Ferrari engine. I don’t want to live in a show house with a show garden.

“This is my refuge, my escape from the world of show business. This place motivates me, almost literally.

“I love waking up to the morning chorus of birds instead of the roar of traffic. Outside my bedroom window is a nest of baby queens that wake me up at 5:30 am every morning. But I’m not complaining. It makes me feel directly connected to nature.’

She added: ‘I’m really happiest when I’m out in my garden, seeing how it’s constantly changing and learning about how each plant likes to grow. It is very important to put the right plant in the right place.’

Kelly first applied to her council for planning permission to make alterations to the home’s “unconventional” attic, which was accessed via a drop-down loft ladder from the first-floor bathroom.

She also performed external alterations to partitions, infills, floors, and service spaces, as well as internal fabric repairs.

In 2019, Kelly also got the go-ahead from planners to create a kitchen, dining area, cozy bedroom, and first-floor bedroom in her eastern home, though the work isn’t done yet.

Savills estate agent Duncan Petrie said in a commentary published detailing the property: ‘This has to be one of the most enchanting homes I’ve seen.

‘The house is immaculate, the gardens are perfect and the east house has planning permission for someone to put their own stamp on. It’s the complete package with hundreds of years of history.’