Houzz Tour: A Country Cottage Merges Traditional and Contemporary Style
Slate flooring, traditional joinery and a thatched roof give this smart, surprisingly young house cosy, picturesque charm
The majority of the cottages dotting the Dorset countryside are more than 300 years old, with some having even been around since the late Middle Ages. At first glance, this quaint, picturesque country cottage seems to be transported straight out of an 18th century pastoral dream, fitting in nicely with its neighbours. But, as Stephanie Dunning, lead designer at Stephanie Dunning Interior Design, reveals, the cottage in its current form is actually only 15 years old…
The country-style kitchen functions as the hub of the home. Stephanie wanted to create a simple and light space with clean lines, but one that still possessed country charm.
The island features a hob, a breakfast bar and electrical outlets. ‘Gone are the days of banishing someone to the kitchen,’ Stephanie says. Instead, an island allows the cook to interact with the entire room while prepping on the oak worktop. The power outlets further encourage an interactive use of the space, transforming the island into a workspace where family members can plug in their phones and laptops.
Stephanie also designated one wall of the kitchen as the official storage wall, with a large fridge, pantry and additional cabinets all housed together.
Cabinet painted in Shaded White, Farrow & Ball. Bar stools, John Lewis. Wall clock, Graham & Green. Splashback tiles, Fired Earth. Open shelving, The English Joinery Company.
The island features a hob, a breakfast bar and electrical outlets. ‘Gone are the days of banishing someone to the kitchen,’ Stephanie says. Instead, an island allows the cook to interact with the entire room while prepping on the oak worktop. The power outlets further encourage an interactive use of the space, transforming the island into a workspace where family members can plug in their phones and laptops.
Stephanie also designated one wall of the kitchen as the official storage wall, with a large fridge, pantry and additional cabinets all housed together.
Cabinet painted in Shaded White, Farrow & Ball. Bar stools, John Lewis. Wall clock, Graham & Green. Splashback tiles, Fired Earth. Open shelving, The English Joinery Company.
The dining and living area, which extends from the kitchen, is a bright and inviting space with a gentle country style. Slate floor tiles handle muddy boots and paws. ‘I also like the contrast between white walls and dark flooring,’ Stephanie says. She added underfloor heating throughout the ground floor.
Dining table and coffee table, The English Joinery Company. Dining chairs, Neptune. Sofa, George Smith. Leather armchair, Sofa.com. Lamps, Porta Romana.
Dining table and coffee table, The English Joinery Company. Dining chairs, Neptune. Sofa, George Smith. Leather armchair, Sofa.com. Lamps, Porta Romana.
The elegant console with a flint surface was designed by Stephanie’s team and adds to the available surfaces in the room. Rows of open shelves on either side ensure a book is always at hand when the dining area is required for quieter activities.
The formal living room, which is located on the right side of the house, features a more traditional style than the relaxed kitchen-diner.
Stephanie added a solid oak beam to both support the floor above and add an authentic aesthetic. She chose seagrass carpet instead of continuing the stone flooring in this room. ‘I always think that if you do stone all the way through, it can be a bit harsh and relentless. You can also then put a rug on top of the seagrass, which acts as a foil.’
Sofas, George Smith. Coffee table, The English Joinery Company. Curtains, Designers Guild. Roman blind, Kate Forman.
Stephanie added a solid oak beam to both support the floor above and add an authentic aesthetic. She chose seagrass carpet instead of continuing the stone flooring in this room. ‘I always think that if you do stone all the way through, it can be a bit harsh and relentless. You can also then put a rug on top of the seagrass, which acts as a foil.’
Sofas, George Smith. Coffee table, The English Joinery Company. Curtains, Designers Guild. Roman blind, Kate Forman.
The fireplace, which came from a reclamation yard, is also new, and Stephanie and her team actually had to build in a flue to ensure it would work properly. The procedure was a bit tricky, since the cottage’s thatched roof meant the flue had to be double-lined to eliminate the possibility of sparks or overheating. A vintage club fender, which Stephanie picked up at auction, adds a manor house vibe to the room.
Stephanie also designed the bookcase next to the fireplace, and added grilles to the bottom cabinets, where the room’s sound system is housed. ‘The colour ties in with the slate flooring in the kitchen,’ she explains, thus creating a connection between the rooms. The door next to the bookcase leads to the study.
Armchairs, Andrew Martin. Wall sconces, Vaughan.
Discover how to integrate a fireplace into your living room
Stephanie also designed the bookcase next to the fireplace, and added grilles to the bottom cabinets, where the room’s sound system is housed. ‘The colour ties in with the slate flooring in the kitchen,’ she explains, thus creating a connection between the rooms. The door next to the bookcase leads to the study.
Armchairs, Andrew Martin. Wall sconces, Vaughan.
Discover how to integrate a fireplace into your living room
The study is a cosy refuge, located at the far right side of the house. Stephanie designed it both as a study and an additional sleeping space. ‘There’s a TV in there as well,’ she explains. The eye-catching purple colour on the shelves was a playful touch on Stephanie’s part. She explains that Farrow & Ball had just released this hue, called Pelt, and she was immediately drawn to it.
The sweet vintage daybed was sourced by Stephanie at an antiques fair.
Cushion fabric, Zoffany.
The sweet vintage daybed was sourced by Stephanie at an antiques fair.
Cushion fabric, Zoffany.
The staircase in the front hallway is also a completely new addition. ‘Before, there was a spiral staircase outside, towards the back of the house,’ Stephanie explains. She added this traditional-style staircase instead, which also houses a utility room underneath it.
Runner, Roger Oates.
Runner, Roger Oates.
Across from the staircase, a roomy unit keeps all of the family’s shoes in order.
Unit, The English Joinery Company. Lamps, Porta Romana.
Unit, The English Joinery Company. Lamps, Porta Romana.
The elegant armchair at the top of the staircase is a family heirloom.
The master bedroom, which is located over the kitchen, feels generous and airy due to the high vaulted ceiling. The bedroom also has an en suite bathroom, as do all of the bedrooms in the cottage.
Bedside lamps, Porta Romana. Reading lights, Mr Light. Curtains and blinds, Kate Forman.
Bedside lamps, Porta Romana. Reading lights, Mr Light. Curtains and blinds, Kate Forman.
A vividly patterned armchair adds visual interest to an otherwise relatively neutral space, while the antique chest of drawers evokes a traditional feel.
Chest of drawers, Salisbury Antiques. Armchair fabric, Zoffany. Wall sconce, Vaughan.
Chest of drawers, Salisbury Antiques. Armchair fabric, Zoffany. Wall sconce, Vaughan.
In the en suite master bathroom, Stephanie added two basins and tongue and groove panelling, a classic feature. ‘I like panelling a lot, and it keeps with the feel of the cottage,’ she explains.
Panelling painted in Light Blue, Farrow & Ball. Bathroom suite, No Code. Mirror, The English Joinery Company.
Panelling painted in Light Blue, Farrow & Ball. Bathroom suite, No Code. Mirror, The English Joinery Company.
One of the cottage’s guest bedrooms features a canopied bed, which perfectly enhances the home’s romantic country aesthetic. ‘It’s an old bed the clients already had. We simply tied in the curtains and the cushions to match the canopy,’ Stephanie says.
Curtains, Romo. Bed linen, Chelsea Textiles. Bedside tables and lamps, Oka. Walls painted in Light Blue, Farrow & Ball.
See how to create the country look in your bedroom
Curtains, Romo. Bed linen, Chelsea Textiles. Bedside tables and lamps, Oka. Walls painted in Light Blue, Farrow & Ball.
See how to create the country look in your bedroom
The en suite off the guest bedroom has the same tongue and groove panelling and tiling as the master bathroom.
Walls painted in Pavilion Gray, Farrow & Ball. Bathroom suite, No Code. Tiles, StoneWorks. Mirror, The English Joinery Company.
Walls painted in Pavilion Gray, Farrow & Ball. Bathroom suite, No Code. Tiles, StoneWorks. Mirror, The English Joinery Company.
The cottage’s exterior reveals the additions Stephanie and her team commissioned. She explains that there were lean-tos on either side of the cottage, which were both knocked down in the renovation. The addition on the right, which leads out into the garden, used to be a kind of conservatory.
‘We did a brick and flint extension to echo the evolution of the house,’ Stephanie explains, purposefully highlighting the differences in the exterior’s style and materials. ‘Because the house is in a conservation area, the brick and flint all had to be agreed upon beforehand,’ she adds.
‘We did a brick and flint extension to echo the evolution of the house,’ Stephanie explains, purposefully highlighting the differences in the exterior’s style and materials. ‘Because the house is in a conservation area, the brick and flint all had to be agreed upon beforehand,’ she adds.
The floor plan shows the current layout of the rooms on the ground and first floor.
TELL US…
What do you think of this country cottage? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
TELL US…
What do you think of this country cottage? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
Who lives here A couple and their three older children, who use it as their holiday home
Location Dorset
Designer Stephanie Dunning of Stephanie Dunning Interior Design
Size 5 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms
The cottage went through many incarnations before reaching this finished state. Two previous structures accidentally burned down, and an unloved and shoddily built structure was then raised in their place. ‘We completely gutted it, extended it and created the floor plan as it is now,’ Stephanie explains.
The thatched roof, an iconic feature of the English country cottage, is found in abundance among Dorset’s properties. However, most are thatched with long straw, while Stephanie used water reed. Every thatcher has their individual trademark so their handiwork can be recognised from afar. ‘When you look at the left-hand chimney, you’ll see the thatcher’s trademark,’ says Stephanie.