This West Country farmhouse, with a sleek, barn-sized kitchen, is a masterclass in blending old and new

Inspired by their love of design, Matt and Alice Cobon have put heart and soul into creating a home that strikes the perfect balance between rural and modern living. Feature & styling Marisha Taylor. Photographs James French

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Published: Thursday, 09 May 2024 at 08:47 AM

When Matt and Alice Cobon first viewed their West Country farmhouse back in 2013, they knew instantly it was the country getaway they’d been looking for. The couple had often holidayed in Dorset, says Matt, explaining that as self-confessed foodies, the area’s vibrant restaurant scene was a big part of its appeal. So when the couple started looking for a renovation project, it made sense to focus their search on Dorset.

The property that caught their attention was a 19th-century farmhouse with an adjoining barn and a number of dilapidated outhouses, which had been in the same family for over 60 years. Although the buildings were in need of love and attention, the surroundings couldn’t have been more perfect: 16 acres of wild gardens and meadows, a short distance from the Jurassic coast, and in a designated area of outstanding natural beauty. It was a project the couple could put their heart and soul into.

The farmhouse, as seen from the garden, with its pretty porch and appealing symmetry. – James French –

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‘We both have a passion for interior design and wanted to modernise the property in a way that bridged the gap between contemporary and traditional living,’ says Matt, explaining how they earmarked the large, adjoining barn as the new kitchen/living area, and reconfigured a warren of small upstairs rooms in the house to make better use of the space. Restoring period character to the property was also top of the list.

Over the course of six months the farmhouse and barn were sensitively transformed, including the removal of a mezzanine level in the barn, which revealed a beautiful, vaulted ceiling. Full-height doors and windows were installed to fill the space with natural light. ‘Alice and I both love to cook, so it seemed fitting that the biggest and brightest room was the kitchen,’ says Matt.

A simple glazed extension was built to create a seamless link between barn and house, with a hidden pocket door leading into the snug. The rest of the downstairs layout stayed the same, but they worked hard to restore original features such as the inglenooks and flagstone flooring that had been painted over or covered up.

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Matts West Country farmhouse kitchen table
The open-plan kitchen is a triple-aspect room that works in all seasons. You can open all the doors in the summer to the gardens, and hunker down in the winter with cosy blankets in front of the wood-burning stove. In the middle, a generous kitchen island is the social hub of the room, while also providing additional storage and worktop space. The cabinetry and Carrara marble worktops are all from deVOL, the vintage ladder came from Bridport Antiques, and the Hans Wegner CH24 Wishbone chairs, from Heal’s, are perfect partners for the antique oak table, which can seat 10 comfortably. Similar oak dining tables can be found at Antiques World. – James French –
Matts West Country farmhouse kitchen dresser
The enormous dresser – an integral part of the kitchen – was bought online for pennies, and Matt and Alice painstakingly restored it to house all their crockery and glasses. On top sit the couple’s collection of antique Normandy milk jugs. – James French –
Matts West Country farmhouse kitchen display
Chopping boards make an arresting display above an old butcher’s block. – James French –
Matts West Country farmhouse haberdashery drawers
Vintage signage, haberdashery drawers and a pair of cinema seats reflect the couple’s sense of fun and personality, and give the room a relaxed and eclectic feel. They found the vintage haberdashery drawers on eBay and the medical poster came from Crooked Horn Antiques, while the cinema seats and stop sign came from Somerset Antiques and Interiors. – James French –
Matts West Country farmhouse snug
Panelling has been added to the walls of the snug and painted in a bold blue, Starlit Night 1 from Dulux, with a new cast-iron hearth and surround for the fireplace, transforming the space into a cosy family hangout. The rabbit artwork is from the Affordable Art Fair. – James French –

Today, the three reception rooms are all cosy spaces, despite there not being a huge amount of natural light. ‘We embraced the darkness,’ says Matt of their decorating choices: rich, opulent colours and luxurious textures.

Upstairs, seven small rooms linked by a corridor have been cleverly reconfigured into four bedrooms, two bathrooms, and one en suite with a fabulous copper bath. Now a family of four, the Cobons’ recent renovations have had more of a family focus – the old kitchen is now a playroom, and in amongst the gardens there’s a play area as well as a big Mediterranean-style seating area with an outdoor kitchen and pizza oven for nights around the firepit.

When it came to furnishing the house, it made sense to combine their love of antiques and good design. ‘We love to explore antiques shops and flea markets,’ says Matt, adding that they are always looking for old and interesting pieces, to sit alongside the contemporary art they have collected over the years.

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Matts West Country farmhouse main bedrrom through to en suite
The master bedroom, with its soft blue scheme and beautiful south-facing views across the rolling countryside, instantly makes you feel calm and relaxed. – James French –
Matts West Country farmhouse en suite
The freestanding copper bath, which looks striking against royal-blue tiles, was the first thing the couple bought for the house, adding that all-important touch of luxury. For similar, try the Astonian antique copper bath from Aston Matthews and Linear gloss wall tiles from Tile Mountain – James French –
Matts West Country farmhouse main bedroom
Matts West Country farmhouse main bedroom chair
We originally wanted to expose the rafters in the master bedroom, but a protected family of bats has put paid to that,’ says Matt. The 19th-century French fauteuil crapaud chair and antique bedside cabinets were found at Shepton Mallet flea market. – James French –
Matts West Country farmhouse landing
Upstairs, the rooms have a lighter, brighter feel. – James French –
Matts West Country farmhouse bedroom

Their choices have also been influenced by a strong connection to the surrounding land, which they have worked hard to maintain, planting a four-acre orchard and restoring both the vegetable patch and herb garden. ‘We have an abundance of seasonal fruit and veg, just outside our front door,’ says Matt.

The couple split their time between London and Dorset. While they’re away, they let the house (and a stable converted during the first lockdown) to families and others looking for a rural escape. ‘The location is so special,’ says Matt, ‘we want others to enjoy it as much as we do.’

Both properties are available to rent  through Airbnb: for the farmhouse, search ‘Reinventing the Farm’; for the stable, search ‘The Shed at Dorset Farm’

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