HOW I BROUGHT CITY STYLE TO MY COUNTRY HOME
“Don’t do it,” they said, “it’ll be too quiet. They don’t have Uber in the countryside!”
I’d been casually tossing around the idea of relocating to rural climes from London for years, dreaming of fresh air and a bigger garden; umming and ahhing about adjusting to not having everything within easy reach. Until, like 75,000 other city dwellers, a global pandemic finally gave me the shove I needed. Yes, four years ago, I became another interloper, following hot on the heels of the likes of Kate Moss and Liam Gallagher to the Cotswolds.
I packed my three small boys and a confused tabby cat into the back of a VW campervan, and we set off on our new adventure, swapping a semi-detached in suburban north London for a doer-upper, Grade II-listed Georgian house near Stroud. You definitely get more bang for your buck when leaving the city. Our new home is nestled in a friendly little village, with a book-swap library operating out of the red telephone box next to the community village shop. Our arrival coincided with an annual wassail, when villagers come together to play music, sing, dance and inevitably drink, all under the guise of welcoming in a good harvest. I already knew I was going to love it here.
My first impressions of our new home were a bit of a daze, which anyone who has ever tried to view a property while simultaneously wrangling small children away from breakable trinkets can probably relate to. But I remember feeling like I’d come home from the moment I stepped in through the front door – which, given that the stair carpet was held together with gaffer tape and the bathtub had Vera Drake vibes, with peeling wallpaper and rusty dripping taps, required a lot of imagination. But I knew this place was ready for me to bring it back to life; I could see past the rotting window frames and the chintzy charm of it all (though the rotting windows are obstacles that will have to be overcome eventually).
The house was the perfect canvas on which to apply my personal style. I wanted it to have a city twist: a reflection of modern living within its solid, old stone walls. I loved the scope and scale of the Georgian high ceilings and the sheer amount of light that flooded in through the huge windows – a stark contrast to the traditional Cotswold cottages in this area. However, the size and scale of the rooms would prove a problem in itself as they were all in need of work. I was staring into a money pit; albeit a money pit with handsome bones.
I was brought up in a little village in the north-east by parents who were both artists. My childhood home was adorned with eclectic taste Grayson Perry would be proud of: a pair of plastic breasts hung in a birdcage from our living room ceiling, and the kitchen door was decoupaged in old cigar boxes. So, it’s little wonder my interior style is driven by the fundamental sense of happiness you can get by surrounding yourself with things that bring you joy. My design (and life) mantra is to make no apology for the things you love, but bringing a design together and making a home feel cohesive is all about balance. By thoughtfully combining modern design elements with rustic charm, you can create a space that feels both sophisticated and comfortable.
Country houses are synonymous with rustic charm, but moving from the vibrancy of a city to the quintessential countryside didn’t mean that I had to swap out my punky artwork and industrial apothecary units in favour of floral lampshades and oil paintings of horses. Indeed, it seems that hidden in the old wool mills and factories around here is a veritable treasure trove of antique emporiums and contemporary design crammed full of urban-style delights – and, this is the best part, not at London prices. I have managed to source many items from the vast array of charity shops and furniture banks nearby.
The array of exceptional interiors shops and local designers around this area of the Cotswolds is a constant inspiration for any designer, but especially one like me who is drawn towards urban elements. You can buy local, and still blend the chic with charm. Here’s how I did it, room by room.
The dining room
The first thing to hit me in the dining room was the tangerine orange of the walls. The previous owner had hand-painted a beautiful mural around the entirety of the room, so I had mixed feelings about over-painting, especially in matt black (Off Black by Farrow & Ball). But the bright orange had to go, and black it had to be.
I wanted the decadent dark feel of a speakeasy to contrast with bright abstract artworks. I installed a ceiling rose in keeping with the age of the property: many old houses like this one don’t have any central light fittings, and a room of this size needed to have a focal point. I then sourced a modern chandelier with antiquated charm from Andrew Martin, made from white tea leaves held within perspex beads. I like to think of it as grandeur with a modern twist.
Kitchen
As a single mother to three small boys, the kitchen is where I spend most of my time, yet it’s also the room that requires the most work, at the most expense. So, while the cost of a full refit is prohibitive right now, I’ve updated it on a shoestring by painting the cabinets and adding industrial-style lamps, colourful steel signage and vintage neon display lights. A few pieces of contemporary furniture have helped to balance the old mill kitchen feel.
Drawing room
This room is still commonly referred to as “The Pink Room”, even though it’s now yellow, such was the impact on first impressions of the bright pink paint with which it was formerly decorated. Because I’d used a neutral palette in the adjoining living room, I thought it would be fun to use a bolder colour in this room.
With two Georgian windows and a whole wall of antiquated mirrors, natural light is bounced around the room, so I opted for Farrow & Ball’s India Yellow, a rich, deep shade to mellow down that brightness and complement the rich tones of the dark wooden floors.
Living room
This is the largest room in the house, with a beautiful floor-to-ceiling window which makes the obvious focal point. While country homes are often decorated in warmer, earthier tones, I decided to paint the walls in a sophisticated, muted colour (School House White by Farrow & Ball), allowing a blank canvas to make bold statement pieces speak for themselves while also not detracting from the view.
For contrast and continuity, I used the same matt black paint that I’d used in the dining room to highlight structural features in the room: pops of dark colours can add an urban feel without overwhelming the space. To achieve balance, I incorporated natural materials such as linen and wool in the soft furnishings, including a sofa from Sofas & Stuff, in shades that would complement the piéce de résistance: the contemporary chandelier from Pooky, with hand-painted lampshades.
Bedroom
Nothing in this room and the adjoining bathroom was salvageable, as they had not been touched for over half a century, which made my job a bit easier because I was working with a blank canvas. I removed stained carpets, wallpaper and white radiators and renovated the bones of the bedroom back to their old grandeur by installing cast-iron radiators and dark floorboards and painting the walls in a soft pink – Setting Plaster by Farrow & Ball. To add an urban edge to the room, I juxtaposed the floral antique bed (which I found on eBay) with original 1960s artworks in complementary shades of pink.
En-suite bathroom
Ripping up the carpet in here was the easiest decision to make – nobody needs a carpeted bathroom with three small boys. I stripped the room back and chose a soft green paint colour (Green Ground by Farrow & Ball) that works well with the pink paint of the adjoining bedroom.
I decided on a modern, sleek walk-in shower to work as a gentle contrast to the salvaged roll-top bath that came via eBay, as did the antique chest of drawers that I’ve turned into a vanity unit. The sleek modern sink contrasts with the wooden chest and the matt brass taps to give an urban-country blend.
Sophie Johnson interior design: sophiejohnsoncreative.com
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