Somerset Country House
Project Brief
Our clients were rebuilding a home that had been lost to fire, creating a new house in the Cottage Orné style on the original site. They wanted a family home that felt timeless and sympathetic to its rural Somerset setting — elegant but unpretentious, and comfortable enough to be lived in every day.
We were asked to decorate the entire seven-bedroom house, working carefully to a defined budget. The brief was to create interiors that felt fully finished yet left space for the family to continue adding their own layers over time — a home that would grow and evolve with them.
Although the house is substantial, the architecture was never intended to be grand. Our focus was therefore on creating an atmosphere of classic comfort — warm, welcoming, and beautifully in tune with its surroundings.
Location
Somerset
Concept Architect
Ben Pentreath
Project Architect
Bath Conservation Architects
Contractor
Ken Biggs Contractors
Our Involvement
We joined the project once first fix was complete, so our architectural input was limited to reviewing and refining details that had already been approved.
In terms of decoration, however, we were given a near blank canvas. Working closely with the clients, we developed lively, harmonious schemes that reflect both the character of the house and the landscape beyond. The architecture had been cleverly planned to create a natural flow through the rooms, and we wanted the colours and textures to echo that rhythm — ensuring each space had its own personality while feeling part of a cohesive whole.
We embraced contrast and depth where it felt right: the pantry, for example, was painted in a rich gloss red — the same red used on the kitchen island next door, connecting the spaces through colour but using it to very different effect.
The clients arrived with a number of inherited pieces and enjoyed sourcing antiques themselves. We worked collaboratively, helping them place, reupholster and adapt existing items while designing and sourcing new furniture to sit comfortably alongside them. This blend of old and new ensured that, although the house was newly built, it felt instantly settled and full of life.
