The acquisition of a country house is often a tale of falling in love, not something that was difficult in this case, as the location in the Windrush Valley, a short distance from Oxford, is one of the most sought-after in England. The farmhouse, originally a pair of latefifteenth-century cottages, had been enlarged in all directions over the centuries. In the late 1990s it had settled as a rather tired Georgian creation, not without charm, but barely suited to its owner’s international lifestyle and business. After a period of getting a feel for the house and its many outbuildings, she asked a local architect, a specialist in heritage work and the local vernacular, to advice on what would become a major transformation. Taking seventeenth century and the Arts and Crafts movement as their base, they spent four years designing, altering and creating the manor house you can see today. One important factor was the fact that the house should age well. Lime plaster, sawn green oak and reclaimed flagstones immediately changed the interior, along with the sensitive removal of walls, allowing a beter use of space. Small rooms and passages were swept away, windows enlarged or lowered, and a brand new bedroom wing was added. Opulent fabrics, Asian furniture and specially commissioned furniture combine to create an unusually stylish interior.
