Despite its ancient walls full of history, it was the newest section of this country house in the Cotswolds, an area with some of the world’s best homes, that caught the attention of beauty entrepreneur Maria Hatzistefanis.
We have been searching for two years for the right home in the country but when this one was shown, there was absolutely no hesitation. Unlike other old houses in the area, which tended to have small windows, in the kitchen there was a huge sliding window with a nice view. If it were the only part of the house, we would have bought it,” Mariah, founder of skincare and makeup brand Rodial, is excited.
The modern extension has been expertly combined so that it is difficult to tell where the old house ends and the new begins from the front of the house. Pippa Paton, an interior designer synonymous with the Cotswolds look, helped create the extension for the previous owners and was hired by Maria and her husband Stratis once the family moved in.
Living room
(Image credit: Future/Paul Massey)
While the family was able to live in a new section of the house self contained, the old section needed updating.
“A lot of it hasn’t been touched since around 1947,” Peppa explains. Old Cole & Son wallpaper still has no plug sockets or heating. We decided to strip it to the bare bone to give it a feature of beams and walls and reuse as we could. We wanted to keep the quirky charm but level the floors. For the main driveway running the length of the old house, we raised the slab stones, numbered and recalibrated them.
While the imperfect charm of the original architecture did much of the talking, Maria had a specific request for Pippa. “She gave me a great brief, a simple ski chalet in the country,” she says.
“We don’t go on winter holidays anymore, but I’ve always been inspired by the minimalist style of the chalet, which would also be an opportunity to bring in animal prints that I love,” Maria explains. “I know it is unusual for a house in the Cotswolds.” Her hectic career has meant that many of her decisions have been signed online with Pippa guided by Maria’s mood boards.
Living room ideas included creating a symmetrical scheme with streamlined lines to offer a modern, rustic look, while the chandelier offers an alpine flavor.
(Image credit: Future/Paul Massey)
The absence of curtains allows the beauty of the panels and the thickness of the walls to impress you.
dinner room
(Image credit: Future/Paul Massey)
Dining room ideas include a mix of natural jute rugs, wool, and exposed stone to ensure the old and new sections carry a cohesive identity. Remodeled and cleaned, the old house’s gorgeous exterior stone wall makes what Pippa describes as a “cathedral-like” backdrop within the open-plan extension.
In this extension space, the wall of the old part of the house has been left exposed to enrich the elegant design. Beams enhance the effect.
kitchen
(Image credit: Future/Paul Massey)
Pippa’s kitchen ideas revolved around creating a mixture of old and new. The cabinets’ crisp modern lines relate to the newly built architecture, while the reclaimed wood doors and truss blocks from the old part of the house have been reused.
dinner room
(Image credit: Future/Paul Massey)
The rich palette of grays gets darker in the older sections of the house, culminating with the dining room where the walls are as black as the night sky set off the drama of a large antler chandelier.
“Our idea was that north-facing rooms could be moody and sophisticated, while we used muted shades in lighter south-facing rooms,” explains Pepa.
Bedrooms
(Image credit: Future/Paul Massey)
One of Pippa’s bedroom ideas was to add reclaimed wood paneling to the walls to evoke the Alpine look Maria wanted, while thicker woolen curtains and roller blinds provide soothing blackout.
peace
(Image credit: Future/Paul Massey)
Entrance ideas included very simple walls, devoid of technical or architectural details, ensuring that this sculptural chandelier is a stunning focal point and accentuates the beauty of the wooden staircase.
“The whole renovation was seamless,” Maria says. “It was about a week when the wall fell down to connect the two parts but we were hardly bothered.”
With a totally unexpected alpine flavor of the English countryside, the new age of this old manor house pays homage to its past while creating a new future.
interior design/ Peppa Button Design
Photography / Paul Massey