Our Story

2023 - saw us become finalists in The Family Business Community Yorkshire and Humberside Area.  We were so delighted to be invited to participate in this event.  To be shortlisted in two categories, Social Impact and Leisure & Tourism were amazing accolades and make us want grow and to achieve even more.   Thank you to all who have supported us.

Who we are

George and Marie-Therese a husband and wife team, embarked on this venture when they found the 19th century cottages in need of some major refurbishment,  they knew they had found the dream properties.  Marie-Therese with a team of local craftsmen and engineers spent months planning and carrying out the works, new roofs, new walls, rewiring, new plumbing, designer glass and lighting.  The fun stuff was finding suitable furniture and super equipment, then bringing it all together in each property to create something truly individual and artistic, whilst giving a sense of something grown over time.  Inspiration came from travelling and seeing the needs of travellers, so they have sought to make the cottages your perfect home.  

At Artists’ Cottages the aim is to see things in a new light, using bright Mediterranean colours to create a sense of joy, life and exuberance,  and calm natural shades to breathe tranquillity and soothe you.

We want to give you a place to relax, unwind and leave the world behind.  A place to feel comfortable so you can enter a world of dreams and have a truly personal experience.

Each of our cottages has a particular interior resulting in a unique ambience,  lighting, colours, textures and furnishings. Each property tells a different story.  The combination of antique with modern furniture gives a timeless quality,  a true feeling of a family home with all the 21st century comforts.

The common threads are the superbly equipped kitchens, comfortable sofas, log burning stoves, great beds and super WIFI.

You will find works from local artists on our walls and we provide books, board games, vinyl records and record players all with the intention of providing you with the means to pursue your own interests.

We would like guests to experience things in a novel context – to experience living with different colours and style combinations found in our unique interior designs. We aim to do things differently and in ways that others may not have thought to try in their own homes, but we hope some of our ideas will resonate and be useful as inspiration for your own interior designs and incorporation in new ways into your homes and spaces. 

The name ‘Artists’ Cottages’  is derived from the sense that interior design when applied to an entire property is in itself a work of art.  Each cottage also functions as a miniature art gallery for our eclectic mix of local artists.  See the page dedicated to them.  You can purchase their works and visit their galleries.

What makes us so special?

A member of our team will personally meet and greet you to ensure your stay is as relaxed as possible – no fiddling with the key-safe or wondering if you can find the property.  We are on hand to see you in. 

As a welcome we leave a tea tray ready- no need to go hunting for tea cups. We leave biscuits, the coffee machine ready – just add a capsule.  We leave Yorkshire tea bags from Taylors of Harrogate, organic ground coffee for the French Press and biscuits. There is always fresh milk in the fridge - all to refresh you upon arrival.  

We operate 24/7 365 days a year.  We are always available and have a team of local professionals who work with us.  By meeting and greeting our guests we ensure you get off to the best possible start- we can answer all those little questions and are always on hand should the need arise.  You know who we are and who to contact.

We constantly upgrade our properties. 

For example: 

At Artists' House we have replaced the dining and bedroom chairs.

In Artists’ Cottage we recently replaced the staircase with one bespoke and made from solid oak by a local cabinet maker Egil Jones. And we have just installed a new boiler to ensure guests always have a plentiful supply of hot water and central heating that is fully functioning.

We have also replaced the kitchen stools.

In Artists’ Corner in 2020 we undertook refurbishment of the stairs – nothing anyone but us would notice.

At Artists‘ House we have refurbished the front garden, added wrought iron railings and a non slip surface. 

We constantly replace equipment and upgrade equipment so as to maintain our standards. 

We have improved the generous supplies of dishwasher tablets, cleaners, kitchen paper, bin liners and loo rolls.

Our bed linens are all 100% finest Egyptian cotton- only found in the most luxurious hotels.

We provide quality desks and chairs so you can work in comfort. 

We provide secure broadband  - most might give you wifi but it won't be on a secure network! Ours is also superfast! 

Every bedroom has a hairdryer.

Our shampoo and body wash come from a local supplier, chosen for their careful choice of ingredients and sustainability credentials –  we add a few drops of an essential oil.

Our cleaning company have worked with us from the beginning. Cleaning is their passion. 
 

We allow pets in some of our properties -  we love it when guests call to discuss their pet's needs.

We use a professional laundry service, all our linens are 100% Egyptian cotton to ensure a proper night's sleep. Cleaned and laundered to the latest professional standards.

We are here to help. We love what we do – so thank you for working with us to ensure we can continue to provide you with the best Harrogate and Yorkshire have to offer.

We were thrilled to be finalists in Yorkshire and Humberside Family Business Awards 2023 in the categories 

Leisure and Tourism

and Best Social Media Impact

Marie-Therese and The Team at Artists' Cottages