TABLE of CONTENTS
Our NEW RUSTIC HOMES
INTRODUCTION
Vivienne Ayers
Welcome to Living in New Rustic Style, our pick of modern country houses in the most idyllic locations – from beachside to hillside, from European to antipodean – and spanning everything from treehouses to converted workshops. The variety of architecture is awe-inspiring, but what they all have in common are interiors that are as breathtaking as the exterior and that connect with surrounding nature.
I have worked on many interiors titles, including Country Living, House Beautiful and Homes & Gardens, but as houses editor on Country Homes & Interiors for several years, I visited many fabulous houses, developing an absorbing passion for modern country interiors. Photographer Brent Darby and I worked together on many house shoots, travelling the length and breadth of the UK (and occasionally to Europe), participating in road trips that were so fun they didn’t feel like work, meeting some wonderful and fascinating homeowners along the way, and photographing amazing houses for the magazine. One of the highlights of my career was winning an award for best commissioned photography – and Brent was instrumental in that with his beautiful photographs.
This book is the culmination of our dream to create a gorgeous coffee table book that encompasses some of the very best modern country homes. No two interiors are the same, yet these selected houses share a common denominator of modern country interiors that are a step away from traditional country design.
Homeowners celebrate their largely rural locations with curated use of natural materials such as wood and stone, as well as fabrics like cosy wool and slubby linen – textures that truly appeal to the senses.
The owners also embrace the bones of their homes by highlighting period features, rejoicing in imperfections, and moulding the interiors to a 21st-century aesthetic by immersing them in natural light and reconfiguring them with open-plan layouts. A mix of old and new is celebrated with clean lines, a smattering of mid-century furniture and reclaimed, flea market and vintage finds. Not only are these time-honoured pieces sustainable, but each one also has a story to tell, resulting in homes with soul.
INTO THE WOODS
In a nod to Californian desert interiors, this calm woodland haven showcases light oaks, nuanced neutrals and statement tribal prints
Set among verdant woodland and a stone’s throw from the white sand beaches of the North Norfolk coast, Sarah and Daniel Morton’s beautiful black timber retreat, evocatively named Blackwood, is set in illustrious grounds. ‘We’re within the woodland that formed part of the Felbrigg Hall estate before it was handed over to the National Trust,’ explains Sarah. Drawn to the area by the spectacular coastline, the couple bought a house set in two acres with outbuildings and decided to transform what was a large, unsightly garage and workshop into an annexe that would serve as a high-end holiday bolthole.
‘The first decision I made was to clad it in charred timber,’ says Sarah. ‘I love the aesthetic of a Scandinavian cabin in the woods, and I thought it would lend itself really well to that.’ The result is a building encased in a striking heavily charred accoya. ‘It makes the exterior of the property look fantastic and when the sun shines you can still smell the char,’ Sarah says. The original red pantile roof was replaced with an anthracite zinc one, while roof lights were installed to immerse the rooms in light. ‘They bring in a lovely light, despite the fact that, in the summer months, you’re surrounded by a thick green canopy,’ Sarah explains. Windows were replaced with smart blackframed glazing that blends with the charred timber, while the interior was totally transformed with a small extension built at the front to house a practical boot room, and two new bathrooms were also installed upstairs.
In contrast to the moody exterior, the interior radiates brightness with off-white walls embellished with pale bandsawn oak. The floors downstairs, built-in benches and bathrooms are clad in microcement, while the upstairs floors are pale engineered oak. ‘With the house in woodland, I wanted to make everything lovely and light, and also textural,’ explains Sarah.
Character was instilled by raising the ceilings and putting plasterboard in between the existing joists, which were painted white, to create the illusion of beams. ‘It injected some personality that wouldn’t have been there otherwise because it isn’t an old building.’
MAKING A STATEMENT
Natural materials, cool concrete, clean lines and sleek furniture are integral elements of this breathtaking biophilic home that showcases pared-back panache
With an idyllic natural swimming pond right on its doorstep, The Water Shed is a luxury eco home that almost seems to exist as a viewing platform for wildlife. ‘We sit in the kitchen and deer come down to drink from the pool, and we can watch kingfishers, newts, toads, frogs and dragonflies,’ says homeowner and architect Dan Rowland.
Blending into the landscape with its weathered Siberian larch cladding, knapped flint plinth and slate roof, this wow factor property celebrates natural materials both inside and out, and showcases an interior bathed with light, thanks to its expansive windows. The epitome of modern country chic, it is all the work of Dan and his wife, interior designer Nina Rowland, founders of award-winning architectural practice Studio Fuse, known for creating modern rustic architecture that seamlessly blends into the surrounding landscape. Their biophilic designs look to improve the biodiversity of the site and the wellbeing of its occupants.
‘I wanted our new family home to create a sense of adventure, intrigue and exploration of the natural world, and for our daughters, Isla and Lexi, to have a happy and healthy place to grow up in,’ explains Dan.
When the couple discovered the 1.5-acre plot in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty near the West Sussex coast, it came with a dilapidated 1930s house and a large pond. Nina and Dan decided to make the pond central to their design. ‘The idea of having a natural swimming pool that you can dive into from the kitchen came about,’ explains Dan.
First, the couple focused on the grounds, removing silt from the pond and establishing a garden so that the house, once finished, would be surrounded by mature planting. The views of that verdant garden and the waterscape can now be glimpsed through virtually every window.
To enhance the indoor–outdoor feel, the Siberian larch cladding used on the exterior was brought into the interior, where it features in the kitchen cabinetry, evoking a textural aesthetic, and it also embellishes key walls, creating a cohesive, homogenous look. Concrete, too, was used outdoors and has been harnessed inside to create floors and fireplaces.
ORIGINAL BEAUTY
Layers of time are peeled back in this bright and breezy retreat where shabby chic and salvaged fuse with utilitarian for a minimalist vibe
All you can see from the Coastguard’s Cottage at Camber Sands, East Sussex, is the sea, sky, sand, fields and marshland. ‘It’s very intense,’ says interior architect and homeowner Marta Nowicka. ‘The cottage borders Ministry of Defence land and there’s not a tree in sight. Visually, it’s incredibly peaceful, unless there’s a storm or high winds.’
Marta bought the Edwardian property some 15 years ago as a weekend escape from London for her and her son Lucas Fish. ‘When I first viewed it, I could see that it had all the original features, which really appealed to me, but it had been vandalised and the windows were boarded up. It felt very wild, which was part of its appeal, and it was right at the sea’s edge.’
Being an architect and experienced at converting commercial premises into domestic buildings, Marta knew that the renovation of the cottage was well within her domain. It had extremely thick walls, so Marta could tell that the building had good bones. However, it was a major undertaking to make it habitable, and it needed rewiring, replumbing, insulation, new windows and the installation of bathrooms. ‘The bill was enormous so I had to really prioritise,’ Marta explains. ‘I knew it would have been very utilitarian originally, so I thought that no-frills philosophy should carry on through the interior. In a way, I let the house speak.’
The house’s rough edges are embraced and celebrated. Unsightly fireplaces were removed, but the chimney openings were left distressed. Walls, too, have a shabby chic aesthetic. ‘We spent time cleaning, washing and scrubbing the house down, and that’s when I noticed the beautiful patina on the walls. There was lovely marbling from previous wallpapers and paint so we sealed it with a half paint, half water wash.’ The distinctive steps with distressed green, red and white stripes are now feted. ‘We took up the lino and I discovered them – somebody must have painted them in the 1960s and eventually they were covered up.’ The original floorboards, meanwhile, were wire-brushed and oiled.
THE PERFECT SETTING
Woven through this organic interior, inspired by the earthy tones of the landscape, are dramatic timbers, graphic metals and chic furniture that evoke an air of sophistication
The scent of mimosa infuses the air at Julie and Mark Smith’s rustic finca. Ensconced in a sheltered spot in the Tramuntana mountains outside Deià, Majorca, its lofty position ensures panoramic views of the Mediterranean Sea. ‘It was one of those pinch-me moments when we realised we were able to buy it,’ says Julie.
Julie and Mark, who own luxury sofa company Arlo & Jacob, have had a long love affair with Majorca, having previously owned an apartment in Palma. When the opportunity to buy the finca came up, they seized it. ‘We knew Deià as we’ve stayed at the hotel La Residencia, which we love,’ Julie says. The finca had been renovated by the previous owners and had a separate annexe, so there was potential for Julie and Mark to transform it into a family home by extending and joining the annexe up to the main house. They employed British architect Peter Hudson, who lives in Deià and who had worked on La Residencia. ‘He sensitively redesigned the house, adding a second floor using reclaimed stone to create more bedrooms and a bathroom, and incorporating the annexe. It’s all seamless and adheres to the local vernacular.’
When it came to the interior, Julie strived to introduce a modern aesthetic. Concrete floors and plaster walls form a calming backdrop and the earthy palette is inspired by the Majorcan landscape, with pops of black for contrast. ‘Majorca's colour palette is sage green, hazel, turmeric, and the hues of rocks. It’s a muted palette and those shades are perfect for the decor. The emphasis here is on natural materials and a calming colour scheme to make it a really chill place that’s totally different from our home in the UK,’ says Julie.
The scheme’s starting point was a painting by well-known Majorcan artist Guillem Nadal. ‘I knew I needed an expansive wall for it as it’s 3 metres by 2 metres, and it now hangs in the sitting room. I love the painting because it’s massively textural, with a colour palette of greys, blacks and minky browns.’
CREDITS
Anna & William Charlton, Hesleyside Huts www.hesleysidehuts.co.uk
Aoibheann MacNamara, ArdBia www.ardbia.com, The Tweed Project www.thetweedproject.com
Dan & Nina Rowland, Studio Fuse www.studiofuse.co.uk, The Water Shed www.thewatershed.co.uk
Dorian Bowen, The Welsh House www.thewelshhouse.co.uk
Emma Cassi, @silkbyemmacassi
Gayle Firmin, Style & Source www.styleandsource.co.uk, @styleandsourceuk
Jane & Myles Lamberth, Shells Seaside Bakery & Café, www.shellscafe.com
Jane Rockett, Rockett St George www.rockettstgeorge.co.uk
Julie & Mark Smith, Arlo & Jacob www.arloandjacob.com
Majeda Clarke, www.majedaclarke.com
Marta Nowicka, DOMstay www.domstay.com, @dom_stay
Nicola Todd & Kent Weston-Arnold, Akatea Hill www.akateahill.co.nz, Zay www.zaybags.co.nz
Sarah & Daniel Morton, Blackwood Norfolk www.blackwoodnorfolk.com
Sarah Stanley, UNIQUE HOMESTAYS www.uniquehomestays.com
Siân Parry-Jones, www.sianparryjones.com
Sophie & James Edmondson, Log House Holidays www.loghouseholidays.co.uk
With thanks to Country Living (UK), Ali Heath, Ben Kendrick, Kay Prestney and Pippa Rimmer
Text: Vivienne Ayers
Photography: Brent Darby
Book Design: Elise Castrodale
Editing: Heather Sills
Proofreading: Lyrco Translations
© Lannoo Publishers, Belgium, 2024
D/2024/45/451 - NUR 450/653
ISBN: 978 94 014 9890 6 www.lannoo.com
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