"I CALL MY STYLE modern rustic"

ALICE LANCASTLE BREATHED NEW LIFE INTO AN OLD FARMHOUSE, AND FILLED HER LIGHT, BRIGHT HOME WITH FLEAMARKET FINDS AND UPCYCLED TREASURES

- LAURA EWART, CARRIE MITCHELL 

HOME NOTES
WHO LIVES HERE?

Furniture restorer Alice Lancastle lives here with her husband, Rob, who works in finance, and their three children, Rufus, seven, Woody, five, and Heathley, three.

THE PROPERTY

A five-bedroom 280-year-old farmhouse nestled in the Somerset countryside.

1 "Make sure a space works for you before decorating it" 

'I live by the rule that "form follows function", so I want all of the rooms to deliver on their purpose before making them look good. When we bought the house, each area needed a complete overhaul and the spaces lacked cohesion. We moved doorways and radiators to improve the flow, and in the living-dining area - the old milking barn - we replaced the beams, which Rob used to bang his head on, with a timber frame.'

BUY THE KEY PIECES

Boho sofa in Beach Ball Clever Velvet, from £2,575, Loaf. Abe deconstructed linen armchairs in Charcoal, £1,200 each, Nkuku. Bianca wooden bead chandelier, £685, Graham & Green

2 “synergy and flow are key” 

‘Parquet flooring introduces subtle pattern in the living-dining area, connecting the two spaces. I used colour to create a harmonious feel throughout the house, starting with a small palette of white, black, green and neutral, and expanding it as I discovered how the rooms flowed from the central area.’