How To Get The English Country House Look

Designed as an elegant space for entertaining, the drawing room is grounded by a warm, neutral palette of Farrow & Ball’s ‘Elephant’s Breath’. Bespoke Studio HÁM sofas are upholstered in ‘Heavy Linen’ by Lewis & Wood, giving the room a relaxed, tactile quality, while a Studio HÁM  Harrison footstool adds another layer of texture. The furniture is softened by cushions in a considered mix of Schumacher, Ralph Lauren Home and Colefax & Fowler fabrics. A 19th-century Italian armchair introduces a note of history, while artwork and accessories give the room a sense that it has evolved over time.

Walls: Farrow & Ball Elephant’s Breath
Sofas: Studio HÁM
Sofa Fabric: Lewis & Wood
Footstool: Harrison Footstool
Cushions: Schumacher, Ralph Lauren Home & Colefax & Fowler

The kitchen was designed to feel light, open and connected to the rest of the house. We omitted upper cabinets to preserve the sense of space and allow the architectural details and natural light to take precedence. Bespoke joinery is finished with Studio HÁM’s Frog Handles, while Bill’s Chairs bring a softer, more informal feel to the dining area. The overall result is practical but characterful – a kitchen designed for everyday family life rather than simply for display.

Joinery finish: Frog Handles
Chairs: Bill's Chairs

Created to keep the main kitchen calm and uncluttered, the butler’s pantry is a richly coloured, hardworking space. The bespoke joinery is painted in Edward Bulmer’s ‘Sang de Boeuf’, a deep red that gives the room warmth and presence. A hand-chiselled Belgian bluestone worktop and sink introduce a natural, tactile element, while Studio HÁM  hardware completes the look. It is a good example of how practical spaces can be treated with as much thought as the more public rooms in the house.

Joinery paint: Edward Bulmer Sang de Boeuf
Hardware: Studio HÁM

Designed around the realities of family comings and goings, the boot room combines bespoke joinery in Farrow & Ball’s ‘Calke Green’ with built-in seating and generous storage. A locally sourced antique chest of drawers adds warmth and character, while artwork ensures the room feels like part of the house rather than a purely functional entrance space.

Joinery paint: Farrow & Ball Calke Green

The dining room is painted in Farrow & Ball’s ‘Fowler Pink’, creating a warm and inviting backdrop for long lunches and relaxed family meals. A landscape artwork brings a sense of place to the room, while Bill’s Chairs sit around the table in a simple, timeless arrangement. A 19th-century oak cabinet from Lorfords Antiques adds depth and storage, contrasting with the more decorative bamboo and monkey chandelier by Richard Taylor.

Walls: Farrow & Ball Fowler Pink
Chairs: Bill’s Chairs
Cabinet: Lorfords Antiques

The snug was designed to be a cosy family retreat, with walls painted in Farrow & Ball’s ‘Oval Room Blue’. The colour gives the space a cocooning feel, while textiles by Ralph Lauren Home add softness and pattern. Effective lighting, an antique tole lamp and the artwork complete the room, helping it feel layered and personal rather than overly co-ordinated.

Walls: Farrow & Ball Oval Room Blue
Textiles: Ralph Lauren Home
 

A characterful study, this room is wrapped in Pierre Frey’s ‘Lakota’ wallpaper, creating an enveloping area for work, reading and quiet time. An antique kilim-upholstered chair adds colour and texture, while the layered accessories nod to the folk art that runs throughout the wider HÁM aesthetic. It is a richly decorated space, but the natural palette grounds it.

Wallpaper: Pierre Frey Lakota

The main bedroom is calm and restful, with a bespoke headboard upholstered in Schumacher’s ‘Tiger Palm’ acting as the starting point for the scheme. The bold botanical fabric is balanced by the antique furniture and softer, more muted details. A Studio HÁM West Stool sits alongside vintage Casa Pupo lamps, while antiques from Brownrigg and a Swedish Rococo secretary from Lorfords Antiques add a sense of history.

Headboard fabric: Schumacher Tiger Palm
Stool: West Stool
Lamps: Casa Pupo
Antiques: Brownrigg
Secretary: Lorfords Antiques

The family bathroom is given a softer, more decorative feel thanks to Schumacher’s ‘Betty’ wallpaper. Its pattern brings warmth and personality to the space, while this handcrafted Branch mirror adds an organic, sculptural detail. Bathrooms needn’t be treated as purely practical spaces. A considered wallpaper, mirror or lighting can make them feel just as connected to the rest of the home.

Wallpaper: Schumacher Betty`
Mirror:  HÁM Branch Mirror

The first guest bedroom combines traditional details with a fresh, welcoming colour palette. Schumacher's wallpaper by Veere Grenney creates a gently patterned backdrop, while the bespoke headboard is upholstered in Paolo Moschino’s ‘Aurora on Nivelles Oyster’. An antique Chesterfield upholstered in Colefax & Fowler’s ‘Hardy Stripe’  adds a sense of comfort and familiarity. The room feels polished but not overly formal.

Wallpaper: Schumacher Folly
Headboard fabric: Paolo Moschino Aurora on Nivelles Oyster
Chesterfield fabric: Colefax & Fowler Hardy Stripe

Warm and inviting, the second guest room revolves around a bespoke headboard in Guy Goodfellow’s ‘Stanhope’. Cushions in Le Manach’s ‘Palmyre’ introduce pattern, while a Domestic Science bedspread adds texture and softness. The mix of fabrics and antique-inspired details gives it a generous, layered finish without overwhelming the relatively simple scheme.

Headboard fabric: Guy Goodfellow Stanhope
Cushions: Le Manach Palmyre
Bedspread: Domestic Science 

The final guest bedroom is the most enveloping of the three, with Christopher Farr Cloth’s ‘Ravenna’ wallpaper giving the room depth and atmosphere. A ship woolwork introduces an unusual decorative detail, while an antique military chest of drawers adds practicality and reinforces the room’s collected, storied feel. Like the rest of the house, it’s traditional without being predictable.

Wallpaper: Christopher Farr Cloth Ravenna

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Photographer credit: Christopher Horwood

Styling credit: Alyce Taylor