{"id":20698,"date":"2023-04-22T09:30:44","date_gmt":"2023-04-22T07:30:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homesandantiques.com\/?p=42199"},"modified":"2023-04-22T09:36:44","modified_gmt":"2023-04-22T07:36:44","slug":"a-grade-ii-listed-georgian-home-in-somerset","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/homesantiques\/rss_feed\/a-grade-ii-listed-georgian-home-in-somerset\/","title":{"rendered":"A Grade II-listed Georgian home in Somerset"},"content":{"rendered":"

Thoughtfully restored, this Georgian house is filled with antiques collected over many years, and decorated with pretty wallpapers and textiles. Photographs Dan Duchars\/GAP Interiors\/The Contented Nest <\/p>

By Sara Bird\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Saturday, 22 April 2023 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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This is probably the twelfth period property<\/a> we have owned,\u2019 says floral designer Susie Bell of her Grade II-listed<\/a> Somerset home, and she doubts it\u2019ll be their last. \u2018I\u2019m a nomadic soul at heart. As a child we moved across continents a lot. And I\u2019ve always loved architecture and interiors and so I suppose moving is part of that,\u2019 she explains. \u2018I find it exciting and inspiring. Luckily, the family have always been up for it too.\u2019<\/p>\n

With its established walled garden and village setting, the location of the house was as much of a draw as its architecture, some of which dates back to the 17th century. Their previous house was quite remote and so the idea of a village shop, a pub and a thriving market town just a short drive away were hugely appealing, as was the proximity to Bath, which really sealed the deal.<\/p>\n

\u2018We like the theatre and it\u2019s fabulous to be close to a cultural hub and good links to London,\u2019 explains Susie, who is co-founder of Beyond Beleaf \u2013 floral decorators known for their botanically and seasonally correct arrangements of faux flowers, trees and plants, which are mixed with real, fresh foliage.<\/p>\n

\u2018It\u2019s not the biggest house we\u2019ve owned, and not the smallest, but it has very pleasing proportions and a certain cosiness,\u2019 she says, explaining that when it\u2019s cold and only she and her husband Ralph are at home, they close off parts of the house, preferring to sit in the kitchen and snug with the AGA<\/a> on. \u2018And then at Christmas, when there can be up to 17 in the house, we open everything up. It\u2019s quite a clever Tardis of a house.\u2019<\/p>\n

In the four years since moving in, Susie and Ralph have renovated this house from top to bottom. \u2018It was in good condition, but we had four children on the brink of adulthood all wanting their own bathrooms, plus we needed more space downstairs,\u2019 says Susie. The couple extended within listed building permission, and remodelled the downstairs to provide a new dining room, a television room and a boot room<\/a>.<\/p>\n

You might also like<\/strong> a Georgian home in Lincolnshire<\/a><\/p>\n

When it came to decorating, the schemes were designed around important pieces from the couple\u2019s wonderful collection of art<\/a> and antiques<\/a>, such as the generous kitchen dresser,<\/a> which has moved from house to house and been painted a good few times over the years. This piece, along with an AGA, was to become central to the look of the spacious kitchen, one of the last areas to be transformed.<\/p>\n

Although Susie had embraced modern kitchen design in previous period homes, she felt something classic would better suit the property\u2019s extraordinary architectural details. They called on a kitchen-designer friend for bespoke cabinetry and extended flagstone flooring to the rear corridor and boot room as both an aesthetic and practical choice.<\/p>\n

\u2018We knew we would be in and out with the dogs and it can cope with muddy boots and paws,\u2019 says Susie. \u2018Besides, I like a grey palette<\/a>. I like the greys, grey-blues and greens of the English countryside.\u2019 She also tends to add a shot of strong blue or a pop of red and black in most places, which she finds \u2018uplifting\u2019.<\/p>\n

This thematic colour scheme runs through the house, as does the use of beautiful wallpaper<\/a>, and this creates a sense of space and flow. \u2018It is all about harmony for me,\u2019 says Susie. \u2018Too many disjointed areas would have felt uncomfortable.\u2019<\/p>\n

As with the dresser in the kitchen, a French cane bed<\/a> in the master suite \u2013 one of Susie\u2019s favourite possessions, bought over 35 years ago \u2013 set the tone for a pretty scheme featuring toile de Jouy<\/a> wallpaper and a splendid canopy, made from men\u2019s suiting material. Susie says that while she looks to interiors magazines for ideas, she is also lucky to work with interior designers, and squirrels away design ideas in \u2018the filing cabinet\u2019 inside her head.<\/p>\n

Curated collections, thoughtfully displayed, and the layering of patterns, colours and texture is very much the look of the moment and it is an aesthetic that comes naturally to Susie, who is a regular at antiques fairs and flea markets<\/a>. Favourites include Bath Decorative Antiques Fair each year, the more frequent Antique and Collectors Fairs and the Giant Flea Market at The Bath & West Showground.<\/p>\n

You might also like <\/strong>inside a colourful Georgian townhouse<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2018I used to be guilty of a bit more clutter,\u2019 she admits, \u2018but I like different textiles<\/a> and the sense of history they come with. I am not one for new wallpaper, new chairs, new cushions, new carpet.\u2019<\/p>\n

Susie notes how experience has come to influence her decorating<\/a> choices. \u2018I used to ask advice of designer friends, but I find I do that less and less these days as I\u2019ve developed a good feel for what works for me and what will sit comfortably in my home.\u2019<\/p>\n

Outdoors, the exquisite walled garden was created by the previous owner, who used to open it to the public as part of the National Garden Scheme. It was, in fact, the one thing that gave Susie pause for thought before buying the property.<\/p>\n

\u2018It was a much bigger and a more formal garden than I thought I was prepared to take on and I knew I would need help,\u2019 she admits. The reality has been less daunting, with Susie doing much of the gardening herself with regular help one day a week. And she has continued to open with the NGS when the timings work.<\/p>\n

The sense of heritage, building on what has gone before, and sympathetically moving things forward will be familiar to anyone who has lived in a period home. Susie sums up its appeal in her own home: \u2018There is a lovely air of comfort created by the previous generations that lived here \u2013 it feels solid and has a great sense of family.\u2019<\/p>\n

\""Grade-II-listed\"<\/picture><\/div>
Susie Bell\u2019s Grade II-listed home in Somerset.<\/span> <\/figcaption> Dan Duchars\/GAP Interiors\/The Contented Nest<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""Susie's\"<\/picture><\/div>
Susie\u2019s kitchen dresser has moved with her from house to house and is perfect for displaying her collection of Spode.<\/span> <\/figcaption> Dan Duchars\/GAP Interiors\/The Contented Nest<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""Grade-II-listed\"<\/picture><\/div>
The splendid kitchen dresser came from Wells Reclamation and has moved with Susie from house to house. It is perfect for displaying her collection of Spode. <\/span> <\/figcaption> Dan Duchars\/GAP Interiors\/The Contented Nest<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""Grade-II-listed\"<\/picture><\/div>
The Spode dessert service is used regularly, as are her antique glasses \u2013 they\u2019re not just for show.<\/span> <\/figcaption> Dan Duchars\/GAP Interiors\/The Contented Nest<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""Grade-II-listed\"<\/picture><\/div>
The flagstone floor, which runs throughout the kitchen and hallway, came from Mandarin Stone.<\/span> <\/figcaption> Dan Duchars\/GAP Interiors\/The Contented Nest<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""Grade-II-listed\"<\/picture><\/div>
One of many jugs that Susie collects and uses for informal posies.<\/span> <\/figcaption> Dan Duchars\/GAP Interiors\/The Contented Nest<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""Grade-II-listed\"<\/picture><\/div>
The Welsh dresser in the boot room is used to store large platters and jars.<\/span> <\/figcaption> Dan Duchars\/GAP Interiors\/The Contented Nest<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""Grade-II-listed\"<\/picture><\/div>
The hall is papered in Fly Fishing by Lewis & Wood.<\/span> <\/figcaption> Dan Duchars\/GAP Interiors\/The Contented Nest<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""Grade-II-listed\"<\/picture><\/div>
The Swedish dresser in the drawing room has been painted several times over the years and Susie plans to paint it teal to work with the heirloom tapestry that hangs behind.<\/span> <\/figcaption> Dan Duchars\/GAP Interiors\/The Contented Nest<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""Grade-II-listed\"<\/picture><\/div>
Many neighbours claim their fireplaces came from the local castle several centuries ago, and Susie suspects hers might share the same origins. The fireside chairs came from a dealer in Petworth, and the floral arrangement, a mix of faux flowers and fresh greenery, is by Susie at Beyond Beleaf.<\/span> <\/figcaption> Dan Duchars\/GAP Interiors\/The Contented Nest<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""Grade-II-listed\"<\/picture><\/div>
The pretty dining room, viewed from the snug, leads to the kitchen. The sofa is covered in a Lewis & Wood fabric and the 18th-century green chairs are Irish.<\/span> <\/figcaption> Dan Duchars\/GAP Interiors\/The Contented Nest<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""Grade-II-listed\"<\/picture><\/div>
Susie has a large collection of antique ceramics, and this transferware jug is perfect for tulips.<\/span> <\/figcaption> Dan Duchars\/GAP Interiors\/The Contented Nest<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""Grade-II-listed\"<\/picture><\/div>
Like many of Susie\u2019s favourite pieces, the canopy above the bed has moved from house to house. The fabric is men\u2019s suiting and she chose it both for the soft stripes and the beautiful way that it drapes.<\/span> <\/figcaption> Dan Duchars\/GAP Interiors\/The Contented Nest<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""Grade-II-listed\"<\/picture><\/div>
A pair of Herend rabbits sit on the bedside table.<\/span> <\/figcaption> Dan Duchars\/GAP Interiors\/The Contented Nest<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""Grade-II-listed\"<\/picture><\/div>
The bathroom window ledge is filled with a wonderful display of Staffordshire figures and a finely carved bust.<\/span> <\/figcaption> Dan Duchars\/GAP Interiors\/The Contented Nest<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""Grade-II-listed\"<\/picture><\/div>
The walls of the guest bedroom are papered in Jasper Peony by Lewis & Wood.<\/span> <\/figcaption> Dan Duchars\/GAP Interiors\/The Contented Nest<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""Grade-II-listed\"<\/picture><\/div>
The windows of the guest bedroom are layered with a blind and curtains in a contrasting colour. Susie fell in love with the painting as it reminded her of her mother when she was a young woman.<\/span> <\/figcaption> Dan Duchars\/GAP Interiors\/The Contented Nest<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""Grade-II-listed\"<\/picture><\/div>
The walled garden has a magical feel, especially in spring and early summer, when the mix of formal topiary and relaxed borders really comes into its own.<\/span> <\/figcaption> Dan Duchars\/GAP Interiors\/The Contented Nest<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>

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