Displaying posts labeled "Bedroom"

My previous post was of the cabin at Settle. Now time to introduce the restored train carriages. Perfect for a calm, rustic, back to basics getaway. We rescued three retired railway goods carriages, sympathetically restoring them to offer luxurious lakeside retreats. Each offers two sleepyheads a lounging area by a wood fire, a well-stocked kitchen, a cosy bathroom, and a decking terrace, with a fire pit, overlooking a scenic lake.

“The kitchen in this 1914 Arts and Crafts home was the anchor for a whole-house remodel project in San Francisco’s Richmond district. The client, a well-traveled artist, was inspired by English country houses. Both the existing kitchen and main bath had undergone an earlier remodel in the 1990s in a style that was incongruent with the historic architecture of the home and devoid of light and circulation. By moving the kitchen to the back of the house, we were able to expand the views to the back yard and design a generous pantry hall with a powder room located behind a secret bookcase door. New windows and architectural elements abound with the intention of introducing materials that feel like they belonged to the house from the beginning. The farmhouse palette includes salvaged wood, brick and marble counters, and wood flooring painted with a checkerboard design. Antique furnishings throughout and a bouquet of patterned wallpaper accentuate the client’s taste for eccentric English playfulness.”

Tradition country house meets contemporay city living. England meets California. Designer meets client’s dreams. Geary English Eccentric by Landed Interiors & Homes. Favourite room? The kitchen.

If it looks familiar it is. Inigo (the estate agency for Britain’s most marvellous historic homes, from the team behind The Modern House) has the listing for the wonderfully eclectic and quirky home of London-based interior stylist and creative director Marianne Cotterill. I was going to say hurry if you were interested but checking on the property again before I shared has revealed that it is already under offer. I wonder what the new owners will do?

Sharing a little eye candy from the portfolio of British interior designer Marion Lichtig. She is renowned for working in harmony with the homeowner and for her trademark user-friendly style. “I favour a simple, relaxed, clean look and am attracted to clear and pared-down symmetry. My style is classical yet understated; I believe design is about the careful balance of the contemporary and classic. I like a room to look as though it belongs to the present while incorporating elements of the past, working with colours of nature. A house should feel like it has evolved over time – even if it has been put together by me over a limited period. I don’t like rooms that feel dominated by the decorator’s taste: everything should look effortless and unplanned.”

What do you think of when you think quintessentially English interiors? My mind fills with images of wallpaper and chintz, over stuffed armchairs and family antiques, lamps with pleated shades on tables, entry hallways leading the eye to stairs with runners, country style kitchens and roll top baths. Its pattern on pattern and passementerie. Heaven forbid a curtain isn’t trimmed or a cushion doesn’t have a fringe. It’s attention to the little details but most importantly it’s about a welcoming, cosy home. It’s this Townhouse in London’s SE24 by Laura Stephens.