A sensitively restored Regency house elegantly decorated for Christmas
Some old houses exude an air of settled contentment, which is not only a result of being loved and lived in, but also of having been treated with informed respect. This elegant brick house in a West Country hamlet, built in 1810 for an admiral, is one such. Secluded by high garden walls enclosing lawns and mature trees, the house and its outbuildings, its cobbled yard, stables, barn and modest cottage, have been restored with such sensitivity, knowledge and craftsmanship that the new work is invisible. It is impossible to tell which of the Blue Lias flags in the hall were found to fill the gaps, which of the panelled doors is a copy, which of the huge sash windows has new crown glass, or which of the floorboards and chimneypieces are original. Even the splendid, pillared porch, built less than 10 years ago to replace a boxy lobby, looks just right – with the attractive weathering of its butterscotch stone hurried along by applications of yogurt. Its worn steps were reclaimed from a Victorian station.
Overseeing this careful work was Henriette von Stockhausen of VSP Interiors, and the owner gives her fulsome credit. ‘We found her on the internet soon after we bought the house and asked for her help with the dining room curtains,’ she recalls. ‘Henriette made them as we wanted, having suggested that a different design might be better. And when they were finished, we realised she had been right. At which point, we decided to hand over the whole project to her.
‘Henriette completely understood what we wanted for the house – for it to feel unaltered, comfortable, elegant, understated,’ the owner continues. ‘She also pushed us to be brave, and use fabrics and wallpapers we’d never have thought of, such as the Marthe Armitage paper in the kitchen. Henriette has a thoughtful way of making everything feel personal – she took charge, but we always felt involved. And she introduced us to our builders, Chris Chapman, who did a terrific job.’
They were lucky to find the right designer. Both have high-powered careers; for the moment they are based in Switzerland, as well as having a house in London where their children, all now in their twenties, grew up. Although in constant contact – ‘we were forever pinging texts to Henriette when we found something we liked at an antique fair’ – it was essential they could trust her in their absence. ‘This will become our permanent base as soon as we retire,’ the owner says. ‘And already the children call it home – they enjoyed being here during the lockdown earlier this year. We come here as often as we can – at Easter, in the summer and always for Christmas.’
December here is a time for close family – the three children and their respective partners. There are five bedrooms in the main house and an additional three double beds in the converted stables, so there is plenty of space. The central hall, with its generous curve of stairs lit by a roof lantern, is ideal for an extra-tall Christmas tree: ‘On Christmas morning, presents are piled under the tree.’
The drawing room, to the right of the hall, has a subtly festive colour scheme, with a sage green damask wallpaper and curtains in a rich red. ‘The previous owner had red curtains in this room, and, when we moved in, we found that the furniture against the walls had been painted around – when the furniture was removed, the green damask paper was revealed. We loved the red with the green, so have done our own version.’
Late lunch on Christmas Day is served in the dining room, across the hall from the drawing room, and this is one occasion for which the extra leaf of the dining table is taken down from its home on the wall above the cellar steps. Like the main bedroom above it, the dining room was once two rooms. At Christmas, the mantelpiece is draped with greenery from the garden, the fire is lit and the chandelier glitters in candlelight. A sinuous velvet sofa at the far end from the fireplace provides extra seating if necessary, with a low table drawn up to it. Dinner is traditional– ‘our daughter is a wonderful cook’ – and carried from the kitchen, which remains in its original position at the back of the house behind the staircase.
The understated elegance continues in the decoration upstairs. Bare floorboards are softened by faded rugs. Antique beds, including two four-posters, have either old embroidered or quilted bedcovers. All the fittings in the three bathrooms are antique. A magnificent free-standing shower offers a perfect combination of old-fashioned luxury and modern convenience, like so much else in this beautifully rejuvenated house.
VSP Interiors are members of The List by House & Garden, our essential directory of design and garden professionals in the UK. Take a look at their profile here.
VSP Interiors: vspinteriors.com
Paul Massey1/10In the drawing room, the ‘Opera’ wallpaper is by Robert Kime. A 17th-century portrait hangs over the chimneypiece, above two mid-century Howard chairs with their original green velvet upholstery, from Rose Uniacke. The ottoman was made by VSP Interiors using an antique suzani from Joss Graham. The door to the right opens into the conservatory.
Paul Massey2/10In the dining room, curtains in ‘Venice’ from The Silk Gallery complement walls in Vescom’s ‘Orissa’ silk. The ladderback chairs are from Howe.
Paul Massey3/10The sofa is probably by Ico Parisi.
Paul Massey4/10The antique loo in the cloakroom is from The Water Monopoly
Paul Massey5/10New stone was aged to give it a weathered look.
Paul Massey6/10The ‘Beeching Stripe’ wallpaper in the main bedroom is from Colefax and Fowler.
Paul Massey7/10The George III four-poster is hung with James Hare’s ‘Regal Silk’.
Paul Massey8/10A double basin sourced at The Water Monopoly tone with walls painted and glazed by Adrian Everett.
Paul Massey9/10The rolltop bath is also sourced from The Water Monopoly.
Paul Massey10/10The antique brass bedstead is from Wessex Beds.
