An Arts & Crafts house in Surrey given a fresh spirit by Studio Peake

The interior was less winsome. ‘It was very dark inside, but I thought: “We can fix this,”’ she recalls. Unfortunately, fixing it turned out to be a mammoth task. ‘Superficially, the house was in good condition, but we discovered the roof was not attached to the house – that was a pretty big problem. And if you turned on a tap in one part of the house, a shower turned off some-where else. Then the electrician said it was a miracle it hadn’t burned down. Oh, and then we discovered there was a flood risk.’ She laughs now, but concedes that the problems were less amusing at the time.

Studio Peake had already been enlisted to work on the interiors of the family’s existing house in London – which has since been completed – so the team simply downed tools and focused their attention on this rather more complicated new project. Founder and design director Sarah Peake was also immediately struck by the gloomy atmosphere of the country house: ‘There was lots of wood, dark paint colours and low ceilings.’ She was particularly troubled by the main hall. ‘The large fake beams, antler chandeliers and hard stone floor made it feel more like the setting for a medieval banquet than an inviting entrance,’ she remembers.

Created by 202 Design, the units are in a striking combination of Argile’s ‘Blanc de Meudon’ and Farrow & Ball’s ‘Suffield Green’ (also used on the window frames), with worktops in Bardiglio marble. The reeded oak lining the alcove adds warmth and texture, as does Lostine’s ‘Bella Skirt’ oak lamp with an ivory shade.

Alexander James

It was quite a contrast to the owner’s brief for a fun, colourful, bright interior – albeit one that respects the English decorating tradition. ‘Although the house is big, the ceiling height and size of the windows make it feel quite cottagey,’ observes Sarah. The challenge was to embrace the character, as well as the owner’s appetite for floral motifs, without sliding into anything that might feel old-fashioned or sickly sweet.

‘We have used a lot of off-white to keep things fresh,’ she adds. ‘We spent a great deal of time making sure that we had exactly the right shade for each room.’ Likewise, flowery fabrics and papers are balanced with punchy, geometric designs. For instance, in the dining room, the prettiness of a Titley and Marr curtain fabric has been tempered by the chair upholstery from Cathy Nordström and the Balineum tiles lining the fireplace. The result is an uplifting, entirely unpretentious space that is warm and richly welcoming. ‘The owner was so excited about the process and so enthusiastic about our ideas,’ says Sarah. ‘You can really see that in the end result. It’s energetic, joyful and happy – and that’s her.’