My English Home

Cath Kidston, the celebrated British designer renowned for her eponymous brand, has found inspiration through her Gloucestershire home for her design studio Joy of Print and her latest venture, the body care brand C.Atherley

Who do you live with, and where?

I live with my husband Hugh Padgham, a record producer, between London’s Notting Hill and our home just outside Stroud in Gloucestershire. Hugh has had a house here since his late twenties, so it’s an area we know and love.

How did you find the house?

We stumbled across it in 2012 by chance. It’s one of several local Grade II listed 17th-century farmhouses which were bought by wealthy wool merchants during the 18th century and extended. It has a beautiful Georgian front and looks down through a valley. The views are wonderful, with rolling hills, beech trees and a stream.

How have you made it your home?

We were fortunate that when we bought the house it had been a well-loved family home; it just needed some modernisation. We rewired and replumbed, then concentrated on restoring the bones of the place. We refurbished two rooms first, then lived in the house for much of the project, which allowed us to really see how the light worked throughout the day before choosing paint colours and furniture. The whole project took about a year to complete.

How would you describe your interiors style?

I come from a decorating background, so interior design is in my DNA. I would say my style is traditional English, but I adore colour and am fortunate to have a very good colour memory. I have always felt confident in the shades I choose, but also find inspiration in Swedish interiors, books of colour and by looking at old Irish country houses. They are so unfussy but playful with colour too.

How did your surroundings inspire your new 100 per cent natural fragrance line C.Atherley?

When I was a child, my mother taught me about scented geraniums, how many varieties there were and how rubbing their leaves gave you this extraordinary fragrance. As a result, I’ve always filled my home with geraniums, and during lockdown I started to draw them and think of the beautiful products you could make using them. I built a greenhouse to cultivate different varieties, and my dear friends, who have a bath care range called Heathcote & Ivory, helped me with the production. Now, they kindly manage all the manufacturing and production side of C.Atherley, while I work on the creative side.

How do you bring nature into your home?

I love pattern and print, which led me to set up my design studio, Joy of Print, in 2017, so I have used bold floral designs contrasted with lively pops of colour to bring a cheerful feel to the house. My cutting garden is also full of fresh flowers I can fill the house with all year round.

What is your most treasured possession?

My picture collection. I have collected pictures since I was 17 – from car boot sales, antique shops and auction houses and have various pieces handed down by my parents. I have a sweeping staircase in the house and an eclectic mix of paintings in frames hung all the way up the wall. My most precious paintings are two Dutch landscape panels that were hung in my childhood home and now sit perfectly in my home.

What should no English home be without?

A fireplace, dogs and plenty of geraniums. ■ c-atherley.com