HOUSE 4
A unique period house that had fallen into disrepair has been given a fresh start and its new aesthetic honours the past and looks to the future
Leaving London and upping sticks for Jersey wasn’t something that interior designer Bryony Richardson and her husband Laurence had planned, but they sought a more rural life after having their f irst baby. ‘Jersey is a bit like living in an Enid Blyton novel,’ says Bryony. ‘It’s a really magical place to bring up children.’
After months of house hunting, they came across an unusual property: a granite 1840s townhouse replete with its original mottled glass windows, surrounded by cedar trees and coastal views. ‘As we headed down the sweeping hill, we got more and more excited,’ Bryony recalls. Although impressive, the house – Le Rocher – suffered from neglect after being rented out for nearly 40 years, and it had been on the market for a while. ‘No one wanted it,’ Bryony adds. But as soon as they walked in, she was captivated by the Georgian proportions and potential of the space, so she decided to take on the mammoth task of rekindling it into a rich and cocooning home.
Following an initial period of sinking funds into essential structural and electrical work, the entrance porch – a decaying plastic lean-to – was one of the f irst things Bryony focused on, replacing it with an elegant black metal frame. ‘It’s a fairly decadent use of the space, because there’s just a seat with baskets underneath for shoes. But visually it really sets the tone for the interior and creates an instant atmosphere upon stepping inside.’
It’s perhaps not surprising to learn that Bryony grew up in an artistic household. ‘My mum was an interior decorator and my dad was a keen antiques collector, so our home was f illed with extraordinary and wonderful objects,’ she says. As a designer, she always aims to create spaces that inspire and delight.
However, it’s the use of grounding colour, inspired by the surrounding nature, that really sets her home apart. Sobek, an earthy green by Paint & Paper
Library, is Bryony’s go-to shade. ‘It’s got this ethereal quality,’ she explains. ‘This whole house, with its huge windows pul
