The enviable country idyll of the couple behind Bonfield Block printers

The images he created tell stories of the rural life he has re-embraced. 'My work draws on the memories and magic of my childhood, my feel for the land and its inhabitants, and on rural myths and folklore,' he explains. He used these to make limited-edition prints, wallpaper and fabrics, which are sold through The New Craftsmen.

But after those six years in their cottage, a new problem arose: lack of space. Janet and Cameron now had two young daughters, a baby and a burgeoning printing business, and their two-bedroom cottage was nowhere near big enough. 'When I printed a roll of wallpaper, we all had to go out for the day so it wouldn't get damaged while it dried. It was ridiculous,' recalls Cameron. 'Our dream was an old house with character, and ideally room for a workspace, but we never thought it would happen,' says Janet. Incredibly, at exactly the right time, a Grade II-listed Georgian house in Thorncombe came up for auction at an unusually low price. 'It was in terrible condition, with fire damage, rotting floorboards, machinery everywhere. You needed hard hats to go inside,' says Cameron. 'But there was lots of scope for improvement. There was also a shop called Bonfield attached that had ceased trading in the Seventies, and which we could turn into a workshop-cum-showpiece.'

The couple bought the house at auction, and Cameron downed tools to work on it day and night, seven days a week, for two years. The first job was to strip the house back to its bones. It was exhausting. But the building rewarded him with an abundance of original features, and treasures ranging from eighteenth-century toys and antique door fittings, to vintage tables and even the original Bonfield shop sign, all of which he saved and restored. 'In a way, we were lucky that the house was neglected for so long, because it actually protected much that might have been lost through modernisation,' says Cameron.

Beyond stripping back, there was no grand plan. 'Key to the endeavour were: my dad, who ran a business specialising in the restoration of period properties and is a very capable builder with a fantastic eye; Gary Balman, a stonemason and lime-plasterer; and Nick Simco, a carpenter,' says Cameron. 'Together, the four of us listened to the building and worked intuitively. It was a genuinely artistic process.' Their approach paid off, creating a house with real beauty and presence.

It feels welcoming and comfortable, but it also intrigues, thanks in part to the unconventional, split-level layout. The front door opens into the day room and kitchen. Next door is the shop and behind this, separated by a corridor, is a spare room, a utility area and stairs to the cellar. On the first floor is the bathroom, and on the second floor are the children's rooms and the drawing room, with a balcony overlooking the garden. Cameron and Janet's bedroom is in the attic.

When the inspector from buildings conservation visited, she wept tears of joy - the state of the building had been a cause for concern for many years - and asked if Cameron would be willing to offer his advice and expertise to owners of other listed buildings in the area. High praise indeed, but Cameron is keen to point out: 'We always had an eye on the past, but we didn't want a pastiche. It had to be a practical, family house.'

When furnishing the house, the couple opted for solid, country pieces, with the right feel and atmosphere, rather than items specifically from the Georgian period. Many, such as the nineteenth-century French harvest table in the day room, came from the antiques quarter of nearby Bridport, which is where Cameron struck up a friendship with David Gordon. 'David is an avid collector who dabbles in dealing,' says Cameron. 'We see beauty in the same things, but I can't compare myself; he is much more erudite. He has been a goldmine for the house.'

Although there is work to be done on the outbuildings and garden, the main house was finished last year. Since then, the couple have channelled their energies into the business and Janet, a talented printmaker in her own right, has returned to cutting blocks. 'I want us to have equal creative input,' says Cameron. 'Janet has been mired in motherhood for nine years, with little time to cultivate that side of herself, so it is an exciting time.'

Bonfield Block-Printers announces itself today with a splendid sign copied from the nineteenth-century original. On Fridays and Saturdays, visitors are welcomed to meet Cameron and Janet, see how the work is produced and, if they like, buy a print, lampshade or cushion, or discuss a commission. Beyond the workshop, there is a collaboration with upholsterer Peta Inglesent, who is covering antique chairs in Bonfield fabrics. Once a month, the doors are opened to students on block-printing day courses. It is an inspiring achievement, born of Cameron and Janet's flair, hard work and enthusiasm, plus a sprinkling of good fortune.

Bonfield Block-Printers: 01460-30268; bonfieldblockprinters.com | The New Craftsmen: thenewcraftsmen.com