From childhood memories to forever home: How a sensitive restoration brought warmth and character to this historic country pile

This former family home has been thoughtfully restored with charming interiors that blend English country aesthetic with modern living

Author:

Charlotte Dunford | Houses Editor

Published Date:

15 October 2026

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A green dining room with a large dining table, covered with a tasselled tablecloth, and upholstered dining chairs. A frilled pattern armchair and console table sits to the right, and a demi-lune console and fireplace to the left — A Décors Barbares tablecloth dresses the generous table which is surrounded by antique upholstered chairs.in the dining room. The walls are painted in Edward Bulmer Natural Paint’s Light Olive Green | Photo credit: Simon Brown

There is no denying this grand country pile, belonging to founder and entrepreneur Claire Vero and her husband Alex, is a family home at heart. Once Alex’s childhood home, it has been lovingly and sensitively updated for the next generation.

Claire was keen to embrace a more vibrant interior design style, full of rich hues and playful pattern, to update the home for her own family. Yet, this would require a careful balancing act to avoid losing any of the house’s historic charm.

It was with the help of studio Salvesen Graham that Claire was able to achieve this considered sense of harmony and indulge her passion for bolder, more decorative design. ‘Working with Salvesen Graham made the whole process incredibly enjoyable. Having a designer alongside me gave me much more confidence in the fabrics, colours and patterns I was naturally drawn to, and in how to pair them together successfully,’ she says.

A large white Georgian house with sash windows, french windows and a central door, partially covered by a climbing plant. In the foreground is a lawn, flowers and topiary bushes — The house boasts many aesthetically pleasing features synonymous with Georgian architecture such as a symmetrical design and eight-over-eight sash windows

As well as being Alex’s childhood home, the Georgian residence - which also includes a later Victorian addition - has had an intriguing and varied past. ‘For its first 150 years it was the village vicarage and in the 1850s it was used as a school. When we were renovating the cellars, we uncovered old ink pots and school desks, which was such a wonderful reminder of the different lives the house has had before us,’ recalls Claire.

A hallway with an open front door at the end. A colourful runner runs along the floor and two large globe lanterns hang above. A bench sits to the left and a sideboard to the right, topped with table lamps and ceramics. A large display case hangs above — Convex lanterns by Jamb line the entrance hall. The handmade Robert Stephenson runner and Great Check lampshades and cushions from Salvesen Graham add a touch of colour for a warm welcome | Photo credit: Simon Brown

With its substantial size and the couple’s family growing - they now have two sons and a daughter - the country property offered the breathing room they had been yearning for. ‘We moved from a terrace house in Fulham with a postage stamp-sized garden. At the time, we both had businesses in London and could walk to our offices, which was incredibly convenient, but our world had started to feel quite small,’ says Claire.

A large neutral kitchen with a big central island, lower cabinetry, tall cupboards, black aga with a corbel and mantel above and bench seating along the back wall. — Andrew Crossland crafted the kitchen which sports generous proportions to accommodate busy family living. The globe pendant is from Jamb | Photo credit: Simon Brown

‘At weekends, we found ourselves craving more space and a little more freedom - particularly with one very boisterous, always-on-the-go little boy and a second baby boy newly arrived. We wanted a home where the children could have more of an outdoor childhood, and where family life could feel a little less contained.’

A close up of a kitchen with neutral lower cabinets topped with marble, a black aga with a green-and-white tiled backsplash and a corbel and mantel above, decorative wall plates, and an open shelf topped with ceramics and a painting — Wall plates and Miligros tiles bring a gentle hint of pattern and colour to the neutral kitchen scheme which features Edward Bulmer Natural Paint’s Milk White on the walls and Lilac Pink on the cabinets | Photo credit: Simon Brown

After moving in in May 2018, Claire and Alex took stock of the house’s current state. ‘It was very much in need of modernisation and renovation,’ explains Claire. Tackling the foundations they worked with The Bespoke Building Company to overhaul the plumbing and wiring, repair the roof, replace the bathrooms and kitchens and create a pantry and boot room.

A dining area with crossback chairs, topped with frilled seat cushions, and a built-in bench. Tall cupboards flank the bench. A large framed lion artwork hangs on the wall above — Orangerie III chairs from HOWE London, with hand pleated squab seat cushions by Emma Stewart, are paired with bench seating in the dining area of the breakfast room. The artwork is by Kate Boxer, framed by Marcus Wells Haviland Designs | Photo credit: Simon Brown

‘We kept all of the fireplaces and existing coving, and worked with specialists to replicate damaged cornicing and architraves rather than replacing them with something new.’ She continues, ‘The idea was always to keep the same old bones of the house, but make the interiors deeply comfortable and practical for modern family life.’

A seating area in a kitchen with a red striped sofa, green armchair, brass floor lamp with pleated shade, bobbin side table and coffee table. Above a collection of art hangs on the neutral walls — A frilled sofa covered in Soane Britain’s Qajara Stripe and a traditional armchair provide a welcoming seating artableea in the breakfast room. The mid-century coffee was a vintage find and the pleated lampshade is made in Décors Barbares Casse-noisette | Photo credit: Simon Brown

To ensure the house was well-suited to their lifestyle, Claire and Alex made several structural changes. The kitchen was enlarged, creating a welcoming space to cook, eat and gather. ‘We also wanted a clearer distinction between family spaces and more grown-up rooms, so we reconfigured the old playroom and library into one room, creating a snug for films with a log fire and plenty of hidden toy storage. That then allowed us to reclaim the drawing room as a more grown-up space,’ adds Claire.

A pale pink living room with a green ottoman in the centre, surrounded by a cream sofa, a patterned pink sofa and a fireplace with a flamestitch fender. French windows open to the garden in the background, with antique brown furniture either side — A pair of sofas from Sofa.com, covered in Blithfield’s Oakleaves (right) and a cream weathered linen by GP & J Baker sit beautifully against walls painted in Edward Bulmer Natural Paint’s Lilac Pink in the drawing room. | Photo credit: Simon Brown

Meanwhile, upstairs, it was the couple’s architect, Smallwood, who proposed combining the old billiard room with the main bedroom to create a generous suite. ‘It gave us each our own dressing room and a shared en-suite bathroom, which works incredibly well.’

Looking around the interiors today, it is easy to see Claire’s passion for colour and pattern. ‘I knew from the beginning that I didn’t want lots of plain walls or rooms that felt too pared back. At the same time, I wanted the house to feel homely, considered and cohesive rather than overly eclectic,’ she says.

A small bathroom with graphic, colourful wallpaper on the upper half of the walls and painted green panelling on the lower half. A star shaped pendant hangs while wall lights with red shades and a red flower mirror hang above a wood-and-marble basin — Rosi de Ruig shades, topping Soane Britain wall lights, and a bold mirror introduce playful red accents into the downstairs washroom. The walls are covered in Ottoline’s Improvisation wallpaper and the star lantern is from Vaughan | Photo credit: Simon Brown

Salvesen Graham was always going to be the perfect fit. ‘They have a wonderful ability to make country houses feel incredibly comfortable and welcoming, which isn’t always a given with houses of this scale and age. They manage to preserve the grandeur and character while making the rooms feel genuinely liveable,’ Claire explains.

A boot room with flagstone flooring, soft green cabinetry, including tall cupboards and lower cabinets with drawers, and relaxed blinds dressing sash windows — Cabinetry built by Andrew Crossland ensures the boot room is highly practical, while soft shades of green link to the garden beyond. The relaxed blind is in Ottoline’s Chintz Caroline in red | Photo credit: Simon Brown

Fabrics and wallpapers that had caught Claire’s eye were the starting point for each scheme. From there, the colour palettes gently unravelled. As Claire notes, ‘Building the paint colours around them rather than choosing the paint first made the process feel much more intuitive.’

When attention did eventually turn to paint, Claire opted for one of England’s leading brands: Edward Bulmer Natural Paint. ‘The colours are beautifully rich and deeply pigmented, but they also feel timeless,’ says Claire. ‘The fact that the paints are natural and breathable was hugely appealing too, particularly in an old house where you want the building to be able to breathe properly.’

An office with textured light green wallpaper on the upper half of the walls and painted blue panelling on the lower half. A floral frilled armchair sits in front of a built-in bookcase. — Jean Monro’s Rose & Fern is the perfect choice to upholster this antique frilled armchair in the home office, with matching seat cushions for a cohesive feel. The woodwork is painted in Edward Bulmer Natural Paint’s Vert de Mer | Photo credit: Simon Brown

A well-curated spectrum of hues have been employed throughout. Each room boasts an individual identity while still working cohesively as one part of a whole. ‘The dining room could take something richer and more enveloping, while the sitting room needed to feel warm and relaxed, and the main bedroom softer and calmer,’ explains Claire.

A large bedroom with a double bed upholstered in a floral stripe in the background. At the end of the bed is a fringed pink patterned sofa and a long octagonal velvet green ottoman topped with books sat on a patterned rug — The pink sofa in Soane Britain’s Pineapple Silhouette in Watermelon adds a luxurious touch to the generously sized main bedroom. Walls in Edward Bulmer Natrual Paint’s Eau de Nile create a tranquil atmosphere | Photo credit: Simon Brown

Atop these colourful backdrops, layer upon layer of texture and pattern lend the interiors enduring appeal. Playful wallcoverings, tactile fabrics, bespoke pieces and traditional furniture mingle effortlessly together for a welcoming, lived-in feel.

A large bathroom with a freestanding bath on a marble platform in the foreground and a fireplace surrounded by tiles and a fender with a large floral artwork and two wall lights hanging above. A doorway to the right leads through to a dressing room — Claire commissioned artist Amy Shuckburgh to create the floral artwork that now hangs above the bathroom fireplace | Photo credit: Simon Brown

‘Mary was particularly brilliant with furniture layouts, which is still something that completely perplexes me! You need far more furniture in a large room than you could ever imagine to make it feel intimate and comfortable,’ adds Claire.

One of the best examples of this, perhaps, is the drawing room, where every inch of the space is maximised with a charming assemblage of old and new. ‘That is probably the most special room for me,’ says Claire. ‘With the fire lit, particularly on those more special occasions when everyone is gathered together, it becomes such a lovely room to be in. It has a real sense of occasion.’

A light green hildren’s room with a patterned armchair, tasselled colourful rug, single bed topped with floral bedding and a teddy bear, a mini chair with stuffed toys on top and a wooden bookshelf — Walls painted in Edward Bulmer Natural Paint’s Granite Green, a rug from Anthropologie and an armchair upholstered in Schumacher’s Sunara Ikat infuse this children’s room with joyful colour | Photo credit: Simon Brown

However, Claire’s favourite aspect of her home lies beyond the interiors. ‘One of the things that gives us the greatest pleasure is actually the garden and the back field,’ says Claire, who engaged Mazzullo + Russell to help transform the exterior spaces.

‘There are areas that feel quite formal and beautifully planted, but then beyond that we have long grass, mown paths through the meadow and ponies grazing in the field. In the evening, it is perfect for a glass of wine around the fire pit, and in the morning I often sit in the herb garden with a cup of tea before starting the day.’

A colourful bathroom with blue and white striped wallpaper and yellow and white painted checkerboard flooring. A bath is built in at the far end, with a toilet and sink in front and a bench and laundry basket in the foreground — Yellow accents add vibrancy to the fresh blue-and-white bathroom scheme. The Striped wallpaper is by Farrow & Ball and the wall lights are from Hector Finch | Photo credit: Simon Brown

Owing to its beautiful reinvention, the house has now become a popular location house. Claire and Alex had experience with this, having hired several location houses for Alex’s previous production company in London.

‘We are quite selective about what we say yes to, as a shoot can involve a fair amount of upheaval - particularly when you have children and, at one point, two miniature pigs, two dogs, four ponies and a cat to work around!’ says Claire. ‘We have been lucky to host some lovely campaigns, including Varley’s “Club Your Way” social campaign and a Jo Malone London shoot for a new range with Tom Hardy and his french bulldog, Blue. The house also appeared in the BBC drama Wild Cherry earlier this year.’

A close up of a playroom with built-in yellow joinery including a tall cupboard and drawers topped with striped cushions to create a bench seat. Two celestial prints hang on the wall and the edge of a scalloped blue and green rug can be seen — Bold joinery painted in Edward Bulmer Natural Paint’s Persian, cushions in Christopher Farr Cloth’s Criss Cross in Indigo and a scalloped Salvesen Graham rug combine to infuse the playroom with personality | Photo credit: Simon Brown

The charm of this family home lies in its harmonious design. From the contrast of grand period features with colourful, pattern-rich interiors, to the marriage of traditional beauty with modern functionality. It is a masterclass in bringing classic English design into the 21st century, whether in the generous country kitchen that acts as the heart of the home or in the elegant drawing room that invites and cocoons.

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