DIVINE INSPIRATION

An old rectory in the English countryside has been updated and refined without losing any of its Georgian charm

- Catherine Coyle

The guest bedroom in the loft makes the most of the skylight that pours natural light onto the bespoke bed. Craigie Hill fabric by the Isle Mill in Silver dresses the headboard and grounds the whole scheme. Paisley scatter cushions in Turnell & Gigon Fantine fabric work in harmony with Holland & Sherry’s cushions in Opera Antique gold silk velvet and bedside lamps and tables by Chelsea Textiles.

DETAILS What An extended period home with seven bedrooms and four reception rooms

Where Oxfordshire

Interior design K&H Design

Life often has a funny way of reminding us that some things are simply meant to be. Carlos and Isabella Simpson had always felt an affinity with the Georgian rectory they discovered in a quaint Oxfordshire village where they were visiting friends. Although it was on the market, the young couple were just starting out, travelling extensively for work and fully immersed in their city jobs. Fast forward five years and, with two young children and increasingly busy work lives, the house was up for sale again – and now the timing was right. “It just called to us,” they say. “It is spacious yet manageable and incredibly peaceful, offering us such a fabulous contrast to our London life.”

De Le Cuona purple velvet cushions are paired with Michael S Smith floral cushions on the bed, while the doll on the bedside table was sourced at Robert Young Antiques