Inside a Tired 400-Year-Old Country Farmhouse Reimagined With an Unexpected Mediterranean Color Scheme
The original bones of this farmhouse on the Channel Islands may be more than 400 years old, but walk inside and you are greeted with interiors that have been cultivated in the most modern and beautiful way
The client wanted her home to feel like a hug,’ says designer Bryony Richardson of her most recent project, a five-bedroom period farmhouse in the Channel Islands. ‘As well as being homey, warm, and very welcoming, the house needed to be “bombproof” to accommodate the client’s young children and pets, and also be a beautiful home for the family to grow up in.’
Although the client was drawn to period buildings, she wanted a fresh take on the interior. Bryony is a passionate advocate of color. ‘I’ve designed houses with a much more restrained palette, but I’m led by each house,’ she explains. ‘I find that these old properties really come alive when you introduce color on the walls – it’s amazing how they respond to it.’
Orangery: 'I wanted this space to feel very joyful,' says Bryony. Bespoke joinery and coffee table, Bryony Richardson Interior Design; painted in Glass IV, Paint & Paper Library. Cushions, Fermoie and Svenskt Tenn. Rug in bespoke colorway, Concept Hand Tufting. Lamps, Porta Romana and Andrew Martin. Blind in Kravet Basics 35374-135, GP&J Baker, with Christopher Farr Cloth Ombre Fringe trim.
Originally, the configuration of the farmhouse was not conducive to family life, being something of a rabbit warren. ‘The actual bones of the house are more than 400 years old, but a large wing was added in the 1970s, and this gave us leeway to change the layout hugely,’ explains Bryony. ‘Only about a third of the ground floor was being used because it was random lengths of rooms that didn’t have a purpose, so the actual living was happening in a condensed part of the house. The driving motivation was to make full use of this glorious house and enable really easy living.’
Living room: Woven silk wallpaper injects texture, with the color chosen because it is reminiscent of sunrise. Wallpaper, Phillip Jeffries. Sofas, William Yeoward, in bespoke velvet. Ottoman in Gipsy Lin, Pierre Frey. Bespoke bookcase, Design Dimensions; painted in Chocolate, Edward Bulmer Natural Paint. Armchairs, David Seyfried; covered in Mill Pond, Fanny Shorter. Rug, Concept Hand Tufting.
With that in mind, a back-of-house area was created that includes a secondary kitchen, dog room, pool shower room, and a laundry room with a laundry chute: ‘It has all the things that you’re often not able to do in a period house, so it was wonderful to have carte blanche.’ As well as the reconfiguration of rooms, the 1970s block was further extended to provide a main kitchen area, while a 1970s orangery was superseded by a garden room, with a double-aspect stove linking both spaces. To enable the clients to fully enjoy the beautiful mature gardens, windows were replaced by doors so that there is full access to both sides of the garden.
Kitchen: The space was extended by a third, and doors added on either side for access to the garden. Bespoke cabinetry, Design Dimensions; painted in Glass IV, Paint & Paper Library. Cooker, Everhot.
Other tailored touches that ensure hard-working spaces throughout include a wine cellar beneath the staircase and a secret bookcase that leads to the guest wing, allowing it to be closed off. A considered focus on lighting ensures there are no dark corners at night.
Dining area: The double-sided log burner ensures a fire is accessible from both this room and the orangery. Chairs, Oka. Blind in Kravet Basics 35374-135, GP&J Baker, with Christopher Farr Cloth Ombre Fringe trim. Wall lamps, Porta Romana, in custom color with bespoke shades.
When it came to the decor, a sense of escapism was high on the agenda. ‘The client really liked the idea of bringing a slightly Mediterranean transitional summery feel into the house so she could always have sunshine in her life,’ says Bryony. To that end, threads of joyful color, including Aegean blues, sunshine yellows, mossy greens, and sunset-tinged oranges are woven throughout, injecting punctuation. ‘I was led by the fact that the new layout brought the garden inside, so I was drawn to natural textures and a natural palette.
Back kitchen: Colorful wallpaper brings decorative bravura to this functional secondary space. Cabinetry in Greenback, Paint & Paper Library. Wallpaper, Schumacher.
We used a very classic neutral foundation and layered up the colors. Although there are some quite bold colors, they’ve all got very natural origins,’ notes Bryony. Flow was ensured by providing a link and a context.
Bedroom: Because the space is north-facing, warmth is layered into it with the color palette. Bespoke bed, Bryony Richardson Interior Design. Walls in Muga, Paint & Paper Library. Cushions, Mindthegap. End of bed chest, antique.
‘There is a continuity from one room to the next – it may be just a small touch of a key color that’s incorporated into a pattern, but there’s always something. For example, as you walk into the farmhouse, there’s a chair that is painted in a vibrant yellow and that same shade is used on a bespoke light fixture within a little reading nook in the hallway. It appears within a bespoke runner on the stairs and then continues on the secret bookcase that links through into the guest wing. It’s almost like you’re being held as you walk through the house because there’s always something that keeps catching you as you walk through.’
Bathroom: 'I wanted this to feel as grand as the main en suite should be in a house of this calibre,' says Bryony. Mural, de Gournay. Blue tiles, Fired Earth.
Other eye-catching touches include the bespoke de Gournay wallpaper featuring spirited zebras and panthers, which brings graphic energy to the hall corridor. ‘It’s a long space, so we really wanted to create impact for the second part of the house,’ explains Bryony. The bathroom, too, features another alluring de Gournay wallpaper that showcases Sarus cranes. ‘They are the most classic, elegant touch in a bathroom.’
Exterior: A large wing was added to the right of the house in the 1970s. Its windows have been replaced by doors for easy access to the garden seating area.
Q&A Bryony Richardson
The designer shares her style inspiration
SMALL CHANGE, BIG IMPACT
Stone II by Paint & Paper Library on all the ceilings in this historic home sits more comfortably than a pure white paint.
GO-TO DESIGN DETAIL
Bespoke painted cabinetry to ramp up the atmosphere and utility of a room.
SECRET ADDRESS
Ardingly Antiques Fair.
LAST PIECE OF ART YOU BOUGHT
A 180-year-old Italian pottery jug painted in a beautiful green glaze. I like collecting items that are the same age as my house.
Bryony has succeeded in designing a home that is a masterclass in combining beauty and functionality, while also being steeped in personality.
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