A welcoming country cottage in the South Downs by Studio Squire
"This is quite an unusual house, in the middle of a forest down a long, winding track. You feel like you might be going nowhere and then you suddenly arrive at this 19th-century railway cottage. It's pretty magical," says interior designer Angelica Squire. Nestled in the South Downs national park, not too far from Midhurst, it was previously owned by a family who had already downsized, but were ready to move on. The cottage was in pretty good condition, but admittedly rather tired, and so Studio Squire was called upon to refresh the house for its new custodians.
"I first saw it in early January. It was a very bleak, very cold day," Angelica says. "It's in this really dramatic setting in the woods which feels quite barren and harsh in the winter months. It was very stark when we first saw it." The other obstacle was that it was a comparatively newer house, and as Angelica explains, "it had a few original features, like the lovely fireplace in the sitting room, but a lot less than you find in slightly older properties. It didn't have any of those higgledy-piggledy walls–and it is definitely harder to make places charming when they don't have any period features." Still, the team were keen to make the most of what was there and, ultimately, the end goal was to "make it feel like a refresh of the house it could have been."
The starkness of the setting in the winter, coupled with the house's straight, strict lines meant Studio Squire had to be "quite creative," as they put it. The brief was to make this house welcoming and vibrant year round. "The couple live in London, and they wanted to come to this house at weekends. They wanted somewhere to congregate with friends and family; a calm sanctuary away from the hectic atmosphere of the city." This became the jumping off point for much of Studio Squire's design. The couple gave them carte blanche and were "very relaxed and happy" for Angelica and her small team to suggest things to them. "We wanted to weave a theme of calmness and ease throughout the house. There is nothing too formal, things are comfortable and not too stiff."
Angelica looked to the setting, through the trees and out to the rolling hills of the South Downs, for much of her palette. "We were definitely informed by the setting for the colours and choices we made. We used earthy tones and picked up on everything we could see out of the windows." However, it was a balancing act to ensure the interiors did not compete with the surroundings. "The setting needed to be the focal point, so we gravitated towards a slightly muted palette," Angelica explains.
As this was the couple's second house, they came to it with minimal possessions, leaving Studio Squire to choose "everything down to the egg cups." It pushed the studio to the limits of its full-suite interior design service. "It was the first time we have done that and we quite quickly got really into it!" Angelica says. "We were picking out their salad bowls and coffee table books." The end result is cohesive and calm, with every item carefully chosen to ensure an easy, ready-to-go lifestyle.
The clients looked to Studio Squire because they admired the countryside references they had woven into the renovation of The Pelican and The Bull – two pubs that the team recently completed. Their style was a natural fit, but beyond that, Angelica and her team were also able to meet a tight deadline on the project, which can be hard to do in large renovations. With ruthless efficiency and a wonderful ability to stretch the budget to its full potential, the team managed to not only create a beautiful interior, but turn it around to the clients' somewhat pressing deadline. “We completed this project in around six months as the couple were set on being in by the summer. The first meeting was around Christmas, and they were out on the terrace by July.”
Studio Squire were also "clever with the budget, as there wasn't an unlimited pot of money." The kitchen had been “beautifully made by a carpenter," so the studio were keen to keep it and be “clever and economical about what they could reuse.” The porthole window in the primary bathroom's shower cubicle, for example, was originally meant to be custom-made but Angelica pivoted when she received the projected costing. "I ended up finding this perfect porthole window on eBay for £50. I said to the clients, ‘if you’re still up for doing it, I think this would be really charming.' I had to be careful and hunt around for various versions of a product."
It was a testament to the success of the project that when Angelica visited the site again a few months after completion, the house was almost entirely unaltered. "The clients had added a few more coffee table books, a couple of salad bowls more, perhaps," Angelica laughs, "but otherwise nothing had changed. I actually messaged them before I came to ask if I should expect any changes, and the clients jokily replied, ‘Can you imagine if we’d changed the whole house?!'" Surely, if the idea of changing anything is unimaginable and borderline laughable, it's a sign of a resounding triumph.
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Christopher Horwood1/30Studio Squire replaced the floor with heavy tumbled limestone from Beswick Stone. New kitchen ironmongery from Willow & Stone was added to cupboard doors and drawers. The corner lamp is from Pooky, paired with a Robert Kime papyrus lampshade. The existing joinery was repainted in Paint & Paper Library’s Botanist.
Christopher Horwood2/30The seagrass and wood bar stools are from Zara Home. The pendant lights are a collaboration between Feldspar x Berdoulat.
Christopher Horwood3/30The existing built-in dresser was refreshed with Paint & Paper Library's Botanist. The clip-on library light is from Max Rollitt. Vase from Zara Home.
Christopher Horwood4/30In a seating area in the kitchen, Studio Squire replaced the floor with tumbled limestone from Beswick Stone. The chair is covered in Susie Atkinson Checkerboard in Toffee. The striped sofa is covered in Aldridge & Supple's Ramie in Moss & Nutmeg. Walls are painted in Farrow & Ball New White. The antique elm console table is from Mayfly Vintage. Lamps are Cabana x Oka. The photograph is by Leila Jeffreys.
Christopher Horwood5/30In the newly formed boot room which runs off the kitchen, a glazed internal door was added to allow a sense of openness between the two spaces. Woodwork is painted in Farrow & Ball Ball Green and the porcelain wall lights are from Laverick & Son.
Christopher Horwood6/30The previous boxy utility room was turned into a much larger boot room space by moving an internal stud wall. Tongue and groove panelling was added to the walls as well as Robert Kime’s Cabbages wallpaper above that and on the ceiling.
Christopher Horwood7/30The skirt beneath the basin is made up in Colefax & Fowler Dart Stripe in Tomato. The nickel taps were re-used from the kitchen. The chik blind is from Opium London.
Christopher Horwood8/30The hallway walls are painted in Farrow & Ball Dimity with doors and woodwork in Farrow & Ball Lime White. The wall light is from Felix Lighting. The hall table and occasional chair are from Vinterior.
Christopher Horwood9/30Sisal carpet was fitted throughout the sitting room to make it more cosy and warm. The gingham sofa is covered in Le Manach Amalfi in Racine. The striped armchair is covered in Sarah Vanrenen Horizon Stripe in Gold. The antique wingback chair is covered in a Claremont velvet. The box ottoman was made by Isabelle Baldwin using a boucle fabric from The Cloth Shop.
Christopher Horwood10/30A large suzani conceals a TV screen and was found on Vinterior. The main sofa is covered in a Rose Uniacke corduroy with cushions from Fermoie and Zara Home.
Christopher Horwood11/30The curtains were made up in Claremont Milano linen. The vintage wicker side table is from Fern & Green and the bobbin tripod table was from eBay.
Christopher Horwood12/30Beyond the main seating area is a bar zone that Studio Squire designed to sit within a dis-used fireplace.
Christopher Horwood13/30Studio Squire took the opportunity to create a small drinks area in this nook. The lower cupboards were made up with tongue and groove panels and conceal a drinks fridge. Iron knobs are from Willow & Stone.
Christopher Horwood14/30The downstairs loo was previously tiny with no window so a wall was moved to allow for a much larger space. The wallpaper is Soane Berlioz in Sunflower. The sanitary ware is from Thomas Crapper.
Christopher Horwood15/30The antique wall mirror was purchased from Lorfords in Tetbury. Pin sewn lamp shades by Rosi de Ruig sit on Oka wall lights.
Christopher Horwood16/30Studio Squire designed a contemporary bed tester for the primary bedroom using fabrics from Guy Goodfellow, Marvic and Claremont. The velvet bed throw is from Toast.
Christopher Horwood17/30The headboard and bolster cushion fabric is Marvic Misa Moire.
Christopher Horwood18/30The double washstand in the primary bathroom is from Heritage with taps from the Cast Iron Bath Company. The bespoke wall mirrors conceal extra storage space. The opaline wall light is from Holloways of Ludlow and the glass globe ceiling light is from Jim Lawrence.
Christopher Horwood19/30The bath is from the Cast Iron Bath Company, painted in Farrow & Ball Oxford Stone. The martini table is from Jim Lawrence.
Christopher Horwood20/30The large shower cubicle was formed by reconfiguring the previous bathroom's layout. The various shades of pink wall tiles are from Mosaic Factory. The porthole window was sourced via eBay and painted in Farrow & Ball Tanner’s Brown.
Christopher Horwood21/30The inside of the swing rod curtains were lined in Guy Goodfellow Olive Sacking in Rosewood to match the bed fabrics. The armchair was made bespoke using Pierre Frey Louison fabric. The cushion is vintage and the floor lamp is from 1stDibs.
Christopher Horwood22/30A heavy ochre velvet curtain, Pierre Frey Aida in Blè, was added to close off the guest bedrooms from the rest of the house should one need. The brass wall lights are from Yester Home. The antique occasional chair is from 1stDibs.
Christopher Horwood23/30The main guest bedroom features heavyweight curtains in a wool from Hainsworth. The antique chest of drawers is from Pato Interiors.
Christopher Horwood24/30The headboard is covered in Cathy Nordstrom Gingham in Sage. The bedside tables are from Collectivist Cooper and bedside lampshades are from Alice Palmer.
Christopher Horwood25/30A en-suite bathroom was added to the main guest bedroom by pinching some space from the previously long and thin bedroom. The basin and taps are from the Cast Iron Bath Company and the wall lights are from Pooky. The chair and cupboard are from Pato Interiors.
Christopher Horwood26/30The bath is painted in Farrow & Ball Setting Plaster. The shell wall sconce is from Jane Knapp and the antique milking stool was bought at Kempton antiques market.
Christopher Horwood27/30One of the guest bedrooms is a small single room so Angelica embraced its size and clad the walls in tongue and groove panels to make it feel more cabin-like. The blind fabric is Namay Samay Gulnaar in Ochre. The pendant light is Matilda Goad and the bed linen is Cologne & Cotton.
Christopher Horwood28/30Another guest bedroom headboard is covered in Jennifer Shorto Kanstreams in Ocean. The French bedside cabinets are from Wallis Antiques.
Christopher Horwood29/30A corner of an guest bedroom includes an antique armchair covered in a stone washed linen from The Cloth Shop. The antique luggage rack is from eBay. Artworks by Emily Thornton and Antoinette Poisson.
Christopher Horwood30/30The garden table and chairs are from Neptune. The umbrella is Titania Living.
