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Nicki Chapman poses for official portrait at RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival© Oliver Dixon/Shutterstock

Escape to the Country's Nicki Chapman's renovated home has its own 'panic room'

The BBC presenter and her husband live in London 

Francesca Shillcock
Senior Features Writer
February 4, 2025
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Nicki Chapman and Dave Shackleton have made their home a passion project ever since they moved in more than 15 years ago.

The Escape to the Country presenter and her husband, who works as a music manager, bought their Edwardian property in West London in 2007 after being disillusioned by the highly competitive housing market.

Instead of buying a shiny new pad, they put an offer on a home that needed extensive renovation work and had been converted from two flats into one large space.

Nicki Chapman on 'Lorraine' TV show, London, UK - 02 Sep 2024© Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock
Nicki Chapman hosts Escape to the Country

Now, they live in a stunning home which boasts four bedrooms, an enormous open-plan kitchen-dining area which leads out into their garden, and seriously stylish décor.

Nicki even shared that they treat one in their house as a "panic room" which is essentially a wooden chest with storage space. "We've got bird food, cushions and blankets inside.

"I call it the panic room because if anything ever happened, we would dive into it." See more photos of her stylish home...

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Nicki Chapman holding her new memoir while standing in her kitchen© Instagram

In an interview with The Times last September, the BBC Radio 2 broadcaster explained the extent of the work they've had done on their home.

"We had rolled steel joists put in, took the back off and added a kitchen extension, which opens onto the garden. We also built at the sides and put in en suites. 

"Nothing of the original house remains, apart from the staircase."

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Nicki Chapman wearing pink flowery dress while standing in kitchen© Instagram

Nicki also shared how they completely changed their kitchen to modernise it, putting in parquet flooring and a separate area for a pantry and utility area.

This photo shows Nicki's kitchen without the parquet floor put in and we think it's already stunning!

We can imagine the upgrade will look even more fabulous, but she's fortunate that the cooking area remains stylish while they await the new fittings.

The kitchen also features pristine, white marble-style surfaces, glass cabinets with frosted glass and a large fridge freezer. 

The hob oven also has a large extractor fan above it, and in the corner of the room, there is a coffee station and cookbook shelves.

The kitchen's extremely high ceilings are wow-worthy and feature a few skylights, too. 

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Nicki Chapman in red coat standing in lounge area on colorful rug© Instagram

These high ceilings lead into the lounge and dining area from the kitchen, making the entire downstairs space light, airy and perfectly laid out for socialising.

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Nicki Chapman standing in her huge dining area at home© Instagram

The living area also features a huge cream sofa sitting on top of a colour rug which is facing directly opposite the wall-to-wall bifold doors, meaning in the day they can see out into the garden.

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Nicki Chapman standing in her kitchen-dining area at home© Instagram

Nicki has also added lovely finishing touches to the room such as colourful textiles, cushions and prints on the wall. 

There are also plenty of tall plants adding colour and a homely feel.

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Nicki Chapman sits on her garden furniture enjoying the sunshine and talking to the camera directly© Instagram

The garden itself is also gorgeous. Nicki told The Times: "I wanted to attract more wildlife so we put in trees, including pleached hornbeams along the back which provide fantastic security and privacy. 

"Who needs a fence? The garden was my sanctuary and happy place when I came out of hospital after surgery."

Nicki Chapman opens up about health journey

Nicki was diagnosed with a brain tumour the size of a golf ball in 2019 which she described as "the most frightening experience of her life."

In her new memoir, So Tell Me What You Want, she reflects on the ordeal: "Receiving that news was, without doubt, the most shocking and frightening experience of my life - even worse than being chased by an elephant on safari with the Spice Girls.

Recommended videoYou may also likeWATCH: Nicki Chapman's shares a video of her garden 'sanctuary'

"The only thing it really made me do is have a greater sense of gratitude," said Nicki, who is an ambassador for the Brain Tumour Charity. "I had a brain tumour. I didn't have brain cancer, but my surgeon and the NHS had that conversation with me. I made my will. You know, nothing is given and it does give you an appreciation."

Nicki has since made a recovery and is keen not to let it "define" her, choosing instead to put it away on a metaphorical filing cabinet. "You do this with a lot of things in life — it will always be there, but I don't need to keep opening it." 

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