As well as creating a more practical layout for family life, Chris and William wanted to restore the house’s character and soul, which had been lost during previous renovations. They uncovered tombstones hidden in walls, reinstated windows to echo original stone mullions, and added sympathetic panelling and joinery. Keen to ensure that the house was faithful not only to its history but also to the area, they worked with various local specialists and makers. Cabinetry was crafted by Hilltop Bespoke Kitchens, based just over the border in Worcestershire, much of the furniture came from historic manufacturer Wesley Barrell, and everything from ceramic lamps to mugs was made by potter John Jelfs. These sit alongside locally sourced antiques and striking artworks picked up on their travels. ‘Interior design is very much like filmmaking, because you find your team of creatives whose work you love, and you bring them together to create something new,’ reflects Chris.
In the pantry, the panelled walls are in Farrow & Ball’s ‘Drab’ and the cupboards are in ‘Wainscot’ as in the kitchen next door.
Beth Evans
The large butler’s sink in the pantry is the ideal place for Chris and William to arrange beautiful cut flowers from the garden.
Beth Evans
The process would have been far more daunting had it not been for the help of two fine friends. ‘One is Nicky Haslam and the other is Jonathan Reed, two very different voices in architecture and interior design,’ says Chris. ‘Jonathan has taught me how you use a space and how you use materials, and Nicky is very much about having the confidence to be bold.’ It was Jonathan, for instance, who suggested relocating the kitchen, while Nicky told Chris in no uncertain terms that the sitting room beams had to be white. ‘A lot of it has been through osmosis, too, from seeing how they do things,’ adds Chris. The earthiness of the palette – greeny browns, burnt orange, rusty reds, ochre – reveals Jonathan’s influence (just look at his own home in Yorkshire). And there’s a whiff of whimsy from the secret bar in the sitting room and the box beds (or ‘princess beds’ as Peggy calls them) upstairs that could quite easily be attributed to Nicky or Lewis Carroll.
In one corner of the kitchen, a banquette with seat cushions in The Cloth Shop’s heavyweight linen in rust and old school stools bought on Ebay (‘some still bear rude engravings!’ says Chris) partner a wooden table made by Chris, who also assembled the enamel pendant light from parts bought online.
Beth Evans
Outside in the garden, it was another great writer who showed Chris and William the way. ‘I’m a big fan of Slad Valley and Laurie Lee’s house and garden, so we did something similar here,’ explains Chris. ‘At the top, there’s a wooded area, and then it gets more formal as you move towards the house.’ Looking out over this bucolic scene are two outbuildings, one of which serves as a guest cottage and the other as a study, where Chris is now working on a few carefully considered interior design projects in between his film and TV work. It seems the next chapter of this story is only just beginning.
Chris Sweeney: @chrissweeney