SOMERSET HOUSE
Sarah Southwell has conjured a spellbinding mix of colour and charm throughout this 17th-century manor house, transforming it into a marvellous family home
A run-down manor house with an intriguing interior full of nooks and crannies not only ticked the right boxes for interior designer Sarah Southwell, but for her three young sons, too. Keen to move to the country to give the boys what she describes as a ‘free-range’ childhood, with space and fresh air, Sarah and husband Nick also wanted an interior that delivered on intrigue – amagical space that would provide the perfect environment for nurturing young imaginations. Having sold their previous property in London, the family rented for almost a year until this Grade II listed manor house in the picturesque Somerset countryside came on the market. ‘We decided we wanted it before we had even gone inside,’ Sarah explains. ‘We instantly loved the stone and mullion windows, the beautiful front façade and huge 17th-century oak front door. It even reminded my husband of his grandmother’s house!’
Everyone, it seemed was happy, but particularly Sarah. ‘I wanted a big project to get my teeth into,’ she continues, adding that one of the other reasons to move to this part of the country was to grow her interior design business, focusing on period English country homes. The manor house fitted the brief perfectly. ‘I wanted to create a cosy and magical family home; a space that looked as if it had alwaysbeenherebutjustbeenupdated;atraditionalEnglish house with a few interesting twists along the way,’ she adds. Dating back to the 1650s, the manor house had in more recent times been used as a working farm but had received very little attention in terms of maintenance and upkeep. It needed a full renovation with new electrics, plumbing, kitchen and bathrooms, and redecoration throughout. One of the most important improvements the couple made was installing the heating system, something which Sarah remembers vividly. ‘It was pretty tough having no heating at first as it was freezing living here,’ she says, adding that when, finally, a new system was fitted with column radiators, the difference was astounding. ‘It made a huge difference not only to the temperature of the house but to how it felt as well. It suddenly became much cosier, which is so important for a family home.’ As each part of the process got underway, a new problem would be revealed that needed their attention. Sarah likens it t
