As soon as we walked through the door at Well House, it had a warm feeling," says Dr Graeme Summers.

It's a sentiment echoed by his wife, Monique. "It was also the quirkiness, with its low ceilings and beams. There was such a feeling of history," she says of their French-themed Grade II listed farmhouse in the conservation village of Ryecroft near Harden.

"It was quite dark inside so you needed a lot of vision to see how it could be," says Monique. "We both laughed when we first walked in because it was so different from what we were used to."

Hailing from South Africa, the couple were at that time in a modern home but thoroughly enjoyed the project of bringing light and style into the property, which is believed to date back around 400 years. However, both agree they would never live in a house again while work was going on.

"We put oak floors in all the downstairs rooms, and you can't image the amount of dust it generates," Monique says. "We also had to be careful that our cat, Molly, didn't disappear under the floorboards!"

The transformation, despite the chaos of trying to carrying on having a normal life while the work was being carried out, was definitely worth it.

Today this sympathetically restored farmhouse incorporates many original features and is a delightful family home with lounge, dining/family room, conservatory, kitchen, rear porch, shower room, cellar and three or four bedrooms.

When it came to interior style, Monique took charge, while Graeme was responsible for the transformation of the garden. Once the walls had been damp proofed and plastered it was over to Monique.

"It was quite dark inside with its small mullion windows and ceiling beams, so I wanted to get plenty of light in," she recalls. "We both agreed that we didn't want anything to detract from the period features, so I went to a limited palette of period colours in light shades with linen fabrics and a mix of English and French country antiques. Many of the pieces of furniture are painted in a distressed finished, which helps to keep the rooms light and airy.

"There's a piece of French antique furniture in every room, but the master bedroom has the most French feel with the painted bed, bedside tables and cupboards."

So where did her French inspiration come from? "I read lots of interiors magazines and we spent a lot of time in an antique centre in Sheffield which had lots of French furniture."

The couple disagree when it comes to their favourite room.

For Graeme it's the spacious dining/family room with its inglenook fireplace, cast iron wood-burning stove and plenty of built-in cupboards. "For me it's the hub of the house, with all the rooms leading off it," he says.

Monique has two favourites. "I love the conservatory. It leads out into the garden, and is beautiful in summer. But I also love the master bedroom, which is very much in my style - a light, bright, airy room."

The conservatory, which is glazed on three sides, has French doors leading out to the patio. "It has an unusual feature as well," says Graeme. "There's an open well with a flight of steps leading down to the original cellars, with vaulted area and stone shelving. Apparently, when it was built the cellar was actually under the house next door, which formed part of a terrace which eventually fell down about 40 years ago."

The charming country style kitchen, which opens to the rear porch, has a quarry tiled floor, exposed beams and stonework, fitted with a range of walls and base units with solid oak work surfaces and a double oven with inset five-ring gas hob. Also on the ground floor is a shower room with slate tiled floor, and part-wood panelling to dado rail height.

Off the family room is a wooden latched door leading, via a turned staircase, to a galleried landing and hallway with a high level window offering extensive views of the valley beyond. Well House has three bedrooms and a study upstairs, which could easily be used as a fourth bedroom.

As well as a charming window seat in the master bedroom - which looks out to the front over the raised garden - has a cast iron fireplace with tiled hearth and wooden mantle. The second bedroom, with panelling to one wall, also looks over the front, while the third has views over moorland at the back of the house, a panelled wall and fitted double wardrobe with overhead storage. The study, or fourth bedroom, also looks out over moorland, and is fitted with a range of open shelving.

The family bathroom has a stand-alone roll top bath with claw feet, shower cubicle with stainless steel walls, two pedestal wash basins and a corner store cupboard with fitted shelving.

The transformed, fully enclosed gardens have stoned flagged areas and walkways with trees, flower beds and shrubs, as well as a small paddock.

"They were quite unkempt when we moved in, and we've tried not to make them two formal, but there's a lovely big lawn and a rose garden.

"I don't know what the roses are called, but I know which ones I like and where they are," says Graeme.

Graeme and Monique are going to miss the rural aspect of their home.

"It's been like living in a piece of history. The views are lovely and there is no traffic," says Graeme.

"I'm also going to miss the sheep, which occasionally escape into our paddock," laughs Monique.

Well House, Ryecroft, near Harden, is for sale for £475,000 with Carter Jonas, Leeds, (0113) 2031090