Within the interior, the original layout and spaces have been restored and new uses found for old. Lost or damaged details such as the panelling in the drawing room have been recreated and the fireplace was reinstated in its original location. New bathrooms have been sensitively inserted into traditional rooms and a clear distinction has been made between old and new. The character of individual interior spaces changes depending on the age and architectural detailing of the building. The restrained elegance of the Regency rooms contrasts with the grander, early Georgian rooms and the attic bedrooms of the Medieval period. Todhunter Earle’s neutral palate of material and colours used throughout the house knits these different periods together to create a comfortable and warm family home.
The new contemporary accommodation is concealed within the original Victorian service yard and is made invisible from the outside by existing and new garden walls built out of the local stone. This
‘garden room’ has a quasi-indoor and outdoor feel and makes extensive use of glass for both walls and ceilings. A modest opening within the old stone wall leads to the striking 16-metre cascading water feature in the garden and beyond to the water meadow and surrounding landscape. This contrast of materials and styles between old and new is honest and makes for very dynamic architectural space.
Outhouses and barns have also been restored and converted for guest and overflow family accommodation. The old barn and stables, dilapidated for years, have been converted into a play area and the hay loft converted into two new bedrooms. Where once there were barn doors now there are large clear glass windows. A new plant room and gym have been successfully integrated within the garden walls and is largely invisible thanks to the reflection in the glass windows.
