GLOUCESTERSHIRE BARN

Archie and Caddy Mackie renovated a former tailor’s workshop in the Cotswolds to create a rough-luxe haven

Once a tailors’ workshop, this tin building has been converted into a cosy, cabin-like haven

This large tin building once rattled all day long to the sound of Singer sewing machines, used to make tweed suits for Gloucestershire’s well-dressed country folk. It was the village workshop of Smith & Hobbs, a small tailoring company that was founded in 1906 and continued to turn out natty jackets until the 1980s.

‘Before we started work on this place it was derelict, with a leaking roof and dangerous looking electric heaters suspended from the ceiling,’ says Archie Mackie. Six years ago, he and his wife Caddy bought this tin shed as part of their Cotswold cottage (which was featured in the June issue of Country Homes & Interiors) with a view to eventually renovating it. The couple have three children: Sicily, 10, Alfie, eight, and Otis, one, so The Old Tailors, as it’s now called, has come into its own as a family annexe to the main cottage. ‘It’s a place we retreat to for some peace and quiet if we’re working from home,’ says Caddy. ‘Then, at the weekend, we all enjoy long, lazy lunches in here.’

The couple run Original House, an antiques business specialising in high-quality industrial and decorative antiques, and The Old Tailors has provided the perfect setting for their finds. An aged shop counter with edges worn smooth with use serves as a sideboard, the dining table is an antique refectory table and a vintage gym pommel horse has been cut down to use as a coffee table – these are all items that Archie has >

❝ WE NEEDED STRONG COLOURS TO LIFT THE SCHEME AND TO STAND OUT FROM TONES❞ THE DEEPER TIMBER

bought on trips to antiques fairs in France and beyond. ‘I love finding pieces that have stood the test of time because they were crafted by hand from good quality materials,’ says Archie. ‘They are a world away from mass-produced furniture that usually ends up in landfill.’

For lighting, Archie found a set of huge Czech Republic factory lights and had the old enamel sandblasted off and the surfaces replated in gleaming copper. A British factory lamp, which would have been clipped to a lathe or a milling machine, adds extra illumination in a corner of the kitchen. The kitchen cabinets were all made by Archie, who routed the doors to give them a tongue-and-groove finish, then painted them in Railings by Farrow & Ball and topped them in birch ply. Extra storage is provided by a

1930s steel cabinet that’s buffed to a deep sheen, as well as a French glass-fronted cabinet.

‘You have to be brave to go for these kinds of statement pieces because they won’t fade into the background. Ideally, furniture should be displayed so it has space to “breathe”, just as you would with a piece of art,’ says Archie, who also did most of the restoration work on the building himself.

Initially, he had the internal walls sandblasted to prepare them for painting, but then loved the look so much that he decided to leave them in that raw state, complete with old lead cable clips studded into the >

walls. ‘It feels as if we’ve revealed the layers of the building’s working past rather than painting over them,’ he says. A traditional metalworker was commissioned to cast the handles and light switches in copper to suit the industrial theme.

When it came to adding colour, it was over to Caddy, who chose a Fermoie fabric to recover the vintage dining chairs, while a mid-century side chair was reupholstered in a burnt orange velvet. Then she added a warm pink in the bathroom (including on the door), to contrast with the grey in the kitchen. ‘I thought we needed strong colours to lift the scheme and to stand out from the deeper timber tones,’ says Caddy.

Archie and Caddy used to live in London but gave in to their yearning to return to their country roots 12 years ago. Archie grew up on a remote farm in Cornwall and Caddy was raised in north Wales, so when they relocated to Gloucestershire in 2008 it felt like a very natural move. ‘This is a lovely, quiet village where our children can all grow up enjoying the same kind of freedom that we both had,’ says Caddy.

Restoring The Old Tailors has given the family valuable extra living space, but Caddy and Archie aren’t resting on their laurels. Their long-term dream is to build a home entirely from scratch: ‘Then, of course, we would furnish it with our favourite pieces of antique industrial furniture,’ says Archie.

Living area A dropped ceiling creates a snug feel in the seating area, while vintage French confit pots add a warming, mellow yellow tone. Mid-century armchair and pendants, both Original House. Door in Rhubarb traditional high gloss, Paint & Paper Library

Kitchen-diner The timber walls were sandblasted, giving them a rich texture. For a similar kitchen, try Pluck

Kitchen Archie routed the cabinet doors to give them a tongue-andgroove finish to match the original boards above. Cabinets in Railings modern eggshell, Farrow & Ball

Kitchen Bespoke light switches add to the industrial style of this space. Switches, Vintage Industrial Switch

Living area Dark grey panelling and a stripy rug help zone off this seating area from the rest of the open-plan space. For a similar rug, try John Lewis & Partners

Living area The doors to the bedroom and en suite sit flush with the wall for a streamlined look. Vintage pommel horse, Original House. Similar sofa, Lorfords

Dining area A row of French confit pots on the 1930s cabinet, paired with a 1950s French factory clock, brings plenty of character to this space. Vintage steel cabinet, Original House

Living area Positioning a tree in front of the window helps connect the interior with the exterior. Find a similar at Bakker.com tree

Bedroom Soft grey tongueand-groove cladding gives the room a cosy cabin feel. Walls in Charleston Gray modern emulsion, Farrow & Ball. Similar bed, Made. Blind in Lavenham Mustard linen, Tinsmiths