Back to nature

A deep respect for natural materials is found everywhere in the farmhouse of designer Gemma Tucker and her husband Mark

- WORDS ABI DARE | PHOTOGRAPHY TIFFANY GRANT-RILEY

Relocating from London in search of a slower pace of life for themselves and their children, Tilly, aged 10, and George, seven, Gemma Tucker and her husband Mark fell for the charms of a listed Regency farmhouse on the Wiltshire-Somerset border. ‘It has such a sense of history, yet it sits well with the pared-back, contemporary style of decor that we prefer,’ says Gemma. ‘And I could see that, with a few changes, the floor plan offered everything we hoped to have.’

Once a simple two-up, two-down cottage, the house had been extended over the years to incorporate adjacent agricultural buildings. It required further work, but Gemma and Mark ensured that all updates stayed true to its character.