The Transformation of a Listed Country House

“With her special talent for restoring sparkle to rambling country houses, Marsh was the perfect candidate for the job.”

Country and Townhouse Magazine September ’21

The Old Bakehouse - interior

We have just completed a year long project in Hampshire, a charming 17th century former bakehouse with fabulous period features and intricate detailing. The client’s brief was to be brave using bold colours, textures and pattern whilst his wife was keen to incorporate the family’s collection of antique pieces and modern prints, so we worked together to find a balance and bring the house back to life.

Old Bake house entrance hall

Using strong colour and pattern we decorated the entrance hall and landings in Lewis and Wood wallpaper ‘Adam’s Eden’. An impactful design which brings a ‘wow-factor ‘to any space and is perfect for this country house setting.

The Old Bakehouse - downstairs loo
The Old Bakehouse - chairs

We sourced these antique French chairs for the drawing room, and had them reupholstered in Soane’s Pineapple Frond Watermelon, one of our all time favourite fabrics. Where possible we repurpose clients existing antiques or source new pieces from auction rooms and galleries, working with craftsmen to support this much needed industry. The Soane fabric works so well here with Farrow & Ball’s Inchyra Blue as a backdrop, and the client’s antique heirloom rugs, adding a club fender upholstered in Guy Goodfellow Collection‘s geometric weave, to create the perfect place to gather around a roaring log fire.

Africa is a big part of the family’s life, animals in particular, as illustrated in this striking playroom with a paper sculpture by Patricia Mitchell, bright colourful elephants by Jazzy Westinghouse, the butterfly by Damian Hirst, and bespoke cushions in Juliet Travers’ Dazzle zebra fabric.

The Old Bakehouse - mantel
OBH living room

We wanted to give the client’s teenage sons a personal space but somewhere to grow into, creating statement geometric headboards by GP and J Baker and Nina Campbell and patterned lampshades by Pooky Lighting, not forgetting to pay homage to their all important sporting heroes.

Old Bakehouse teenage bedroom

For the master bedroom we created a tranquil haven, adopting a botanical scheme to compliment the leafy views out into the formal gardens and calming Carrara marble for the en-suite bathroom, and the ultimate porthole loo with a view!

Carrera marble bathroom suite
Botanical master bedroom

This project began with me providing a few recommendations, but transformed into the redecoration of much of the property, including the outdoor living space, the cottage and the office. It’s been wonderful to work with the client to transform this beautiful property into a really sophisticated and comfortable home for the family.

To see more images please visit our image gallery and for more information about the studio or to have an informal discussion with Lucy please do email lucy@lucymarshinteriors.com or call the studio on +44 (0) 207 971 1245.