Design advice

‘When restoring a historic house like this, try not to mess with it too much – and simply celebrate the period features’

space as well as the hallway, and varying tones of grey for the first floor reception spaces and the bedrooms on the two floors above. ‘The rooms are so bright that they can actually take quite strong shades of grey, which we find very calming,’ says Ben.

The couple, who now have two young daughters, Freyja and Nova, both work as designers in the automotive industry and they share a keen passion for mid-20th century Scandinavian design. ‘I’ve always loved this era and Alexandra is Swedish so she also has a strong link to it,’ says Ben, who together with his wife has built up an enviable collection of original production pieces. ‘We started about 18 years ago and we have bought a lot from the Danish auction houses Lauritz and Bruun Rasmussen.’

Set against the grandeur of their home, these pared-back classics can be appreciated in their full glory. ‘The joy of them is that they are timeless, which means that they will fit in anywhere,’ says Ben. ‘We actually owned pretty much all of our furniture before we moved into the house. The only piece we had to buy was a new table to suit the much bigger dining space.’

Ben has also turned his hand to creating pieces for the house, from the large abstract artwork for the sitting room to the shelves in the library. He even made the outdoor dining table and benches, which sit in the inviting walled garden. ‘I enjoy making things, I find it very relaxing,’ he explains. ‘We still have the option of working on the two rooms in the basement to turn them into living areas. But for the moment, we have more than enough space to enjoy.’

GARDEN Ben made the dining furniture using simple oak planks supported by custom steel frames he had fabricated.

Try the Doblo Matt Grey porcelain tiles, £23.99sq m, Tile Mountain MASTER BEDROOM A leather panel salvaged from an office serves as a headboard, while the neat wall-hung dressing table is a mid-century Danish piece. For a vintage paper cord stool by Niels Møller, try 1stdibs. Tolomeo wall light, from £177, Holloways of Ludlow

BATHROOM Large dark grey tiles have been used on the walls and floor for a clean, streamlined look.

BEDROOM The colours of the birch lounge chair chime with the indigo blue textiles and the wood flooring. Find the 406 chair by Alvar Aalto in Black/ Blue webbing, £1,386, Finnish Design Shop