OXFORDSHIRE COUNTRY HOUSE

With her mother an interior designer and a furnituremaker brother, Liz Vallance knew exactly who to turn to when decorating her rural home

Drawing on family expertise has maximised the charms of a 16th-century farmhouse

❝ A PALETTE OF NEUTRAL TONES AND PALE BLUE CONNECTS THE NEW AND OLDER PARTS OF THE HOUSE ❞

I really couldn’t have created such a lovely interior without them,’ proclaims Liz Vallance of her charming Oxfordshire home, which has been cleverly enhanced by the skills of her interior designer mother, Jean George, and furnituremaker brother, Robert George. Keeping it in the family clearly made sense when it came to the design transformation of what was once a very modest 16th-century farmhouse into the sumptuous space it is today.

‘My mother runs her own design business (jeangeorgeinteriors.co.uk), and she was my sounding board when it came to layouts, then later on when choosing colours, fabrics and furniture,’ says Liz. ‘Mum sorted the position of the woodburning stove and the bespoke blue sofa, which needed to take into account the post in the middle of the living room,’ she explains. ‘She also designed the shelving in the TV room and in the study. This was a difficult task as the aim was to hide the structural cruck frame posts and work around a huge ceiling beam, and create symmetry at the same time.’ Enter Liz’s brother, Robert. ‘As well as the shelving units, he made the whitewashed oak dining table and the antique walnut veneered console table in the living room.’

There was a great deal of renovation work to be done before the decoration could start. Liz, husband Tim and their daughters were living in London but planning a move to the countryside. ‘It was a challenge searching for properties in Oxfordshire – many are listed due to their age and have wooden frames and low ceilings, which didn’t suit Tim as he’s six foot three!’ But this farmhouse had undergone enhancement during Edwardian times and again in the 1960s and 1980s, resulting in an unusual layout with better head height and the possibility of gaining planning permission to create an improved living space.

The couple employed an architect who redesigned the house and managed to convince the planning department to allow new doors to open onto the garden, re-plaster the whole of the property with lime render and replace all imitation lead windows with new wooden framed ones to allow more daylight in. Work was started to remove the newer parts of the house and to create a larger kitchen/dining room overlooking the garden.

The result is a charming synthesis of traditional and modern. Exposed beams, low ceilings and wonky floors still define the characterful old farmhouse, while the new contemporary, light-filled extension provides a sense of space, height and immediate connection with the open skies and countryside.

‘What I love the most is the light and feeling of calm, as well as the cosiness with lower ceilings and wooden beams. Also, how it is all connected and finished with the natural colours and blue palette throughout,’ says Liz. And it does all work wonderfully together of course – as they say, mum knows best!

Liz’s home is available to rent as a location house via peagreenlocations.com

❝ I COULDN’T HAVE CREATED SUCH A LOVELY HOME WITHOUT THE HELP OF MY MOTHER AND BROTHER❞

Dining area

Bifold doors lead onto the garden.

Dining table, bespoke by Robert George. Bifold doors, SB Joinery

Staircase

High windows flood this space with light. Runner, Alternative Flooring

Bedroom

Calming blue-greys are echoed in a vintage sampler. Chest of drawers,

The Lamb Arcade, Wallingford. Walls painted in Flint Grey by Zoffany

Bedroom

A throw and paisley cushions add a layer of luxury. Cushions, TK Maxx

Bathroom

Natural textures enhance the architecture of this restful space. Limestone tiles, Mandarin Stone

Bedroom

The character of the original farmhouse is on full view here, complemented by the natural tones of the sisal carpet. A soft blue-grey palette creates a quiet, warm aesthetic.

Walls painted in Flint Grey; woodwork in Half Harbour Grey, both by Zoffany

❝ I LOVE THE SPACE, LIGHT AND FEELING OF CALM HERE, AS WELL AS THE COSINESS OF LOWER CEILINGS AND WOODEN BEAMS❞

Entrance hall

This spacious area has room for an elegant chair, console table and chest of drawers (not shown). Similar framed pictures, Petersham Nurseries. Limestone floor tiles, Artisans of Devizes. Walls painted in White Clay by Zoffany

Living room In the 16th-century part of the farmhouse, this space boasts low ceilings, beams and wooden floors. Sofa, bespoke; covered in fabric by Colefax and Fowler. Walls painted in Pampas by Zoffany. Sisal carpet, Alternative Flooring

Kitchen Liz and Tim knocked down the newest part of the house, with its rabbit warren of small rooms and corridors, and built a contemporary open-plan kitchen and dining space in its place. Bespoke kitchen, Andrew Lord Furniture. Cabinets painted in Grey Teal by Little Greene

Living room Jean George designed the seating and the horizontal picture display to accentuate the room’s proportions. Glass table, Green Apple Entrance hall Exposed beams around the doorway to the living room add character. Paint, White Clay by Zoffany Study With its large fireplace and huge beam, this room proved a challenge. Shelving, bespoke by Jean George; built by Robert George. Paint on shelving, Railings by Farrow & Ball Exterior Lime render seamlessly blends the new extension, which houses the kitchen and dining area, with the original part of the house

Dining area A symmetrical arrangement of lamps and paintings on a cabinet add colour to this corner. Liz chose engineered oak floorboards, finished with a coat of Bona matt varnish to protect them from everyday wear and tear. Floorboards, Andrew Lord Furniture