Simply put

With five children and a fledgling furniture company to run, Maria Le Mesurier keeps things pared back, practical and perfectly elegant. Words and styling by Ali Heath. Photographs by Brent Darby

Maria Le Mesurier’s house is stylishly minimalist

THE WALLS OF MARIA Le Mesurier’s country home on the Uppark estate in West Sussex are lined with baskets, of every shape, size and period imaginable. Handmade from natural wicker, seagrass or straw, they have been collected over a lifetime of travels to Italy, Spain and much-loved Madeira – the home of her late father, the Madeirawinemaker John Cossart. ‘For me they are like works of art, and each has a story to tell,’ says Maria, an interior stylist. ‘I love the rawness of their form and their simple aesthetic; and, of course, they provide invaluable storage.’

With five children – three from her first marriage (Alfred, 15, Pearl, 13, and Gio, 10); and two from her second, eight years ago, to Paul Le Mesurier, a cousin of the actor John (Dolly, five, and Rocky, two) – she makes design choices based largely on simplicity. ‘The more children I had, the fewer complications I needed, whether that be in life, belongings or furniture,’ she says. ‘My style is smart without frills, but ordered and always natural. Juggling a busy family life and work, my head can feel like the inside of a handbag, so for me organisation and a streamlined home are key.’

The family moved into their new home five years ago. ‘We were living like sardines in a small converted farm building nearby,’ says Maria, so they decided to do a house swap with her mother, who had the opposite problem and felt she had too much space.

Situated amid beautiful West Sussex countryside, the 17th-century Uppark estate had been inherited by Maria’s great-grandfather, Admiral the Hon Sir Herbert Meade-fetherstonhaugh, in the

1930s. When the war ended, he and his son approached the National Trust and asked it to take on Uppark to protect it for the future, and in 1954 the main property passed to the Trust, while the extended family continued living within the house and on the estate. In the late 1980s tragedy hit when Uppark was devastated by fire: Maria and her family lost all their possessions and her parents moved into the former stables, where her mother remained until the house swap.

When she and Paul got together in 2010, it was, she says, ‘a really significant time of change, both personally and professionally, for us both’. Paul, an osteopath, had already made the decision to take a year-long sabbatical and was about to embark on a boat-building course in Norfolk. ‘The timing wasn’t great, but he drove back every weekend, and at the end of that year he proposed and we married straight away.’

Two years later, just after Dolly was born, they moved into the Stables and

‘It felt as if we were undressing the house from its chintzy floral trappings and releasing the raw beauty’

immediately started redecorating it in a pared-back style. ‘The process of stripping back the house felt as if we were undressing it from its chintzy floral trappings and releasing the raw beauty of its structure, to complement the original terracotta floors, wooden boards and plaster walls,’ says Maria. ‘I think my desire for the natural and simple is a reaction to having been brought up in a very busy interior – I love the sense of calm.’ Her mother is on board with the new look too, recognising that the house needs to evolve with its next generation of inhabitants.

Throughout, contemporary whitewashed walls are offset by raw natural textures: hemp-linen bedding, unlined diaphanous linen curtains, abundant rugs in sisal and coir, and old coffee sacks hung on the walls.

The move was also a catalyst for the couple to start planning their furnituremaking business, Woodedit, which launched last month. Its foundations are concepts designed by Maria and made by Paul, for their own home. Using rough sawn wood, they have developed a robust collection, including a kitchen island, a dining table and benches, a desk, side tables, and smaller pieces such as pegs and boot racks. All are sim- ple and elegant, yet practical and hardwearing enough to survive the daily rigour of a busy household.

In the house, further pieces made by Paul include minimalist shelves, oversized cabinetry and cane-lined radiator covers. The huge family sofa in the sitting room, a budget Ikea buy, is covered in bespoke, machine-washable loose linen covers, designed by Maria. ‘With five children ranging from two to 15 years of age, the house needs to feel lived in, not precious,’ she says.

Together, the couple are carving out their own future, based on their life at the Stables. ‘It’s a huge leap of faith,’ she says, ‘but being true to ourselves, harnessing our joint skills and collaborating feels right and very rewarding.’ woodedit.co.uk

‘With five children ranging from two to 15 years of age, the house needs to feel lived in, not precious’

Below Maria Le Mesurier at home on the Uppark estate, West Sussex; housekeeping tools displayed on a rack made by her husband, Paul

Above The dining area sits beside the open-plan kitchen. A log burner adds a cosy, welcoming feel

Clockwise from left The whitewashed kitchen features an elegant island; antique Portuguese bowls, filled with rich-hued plums and oversized Italian lemons, add a pop of natural colour to the minimal scheme; cane-lined radiator covers, made by Paul, are available to order from Woodedit

Right A muted pink canopy and warm stone walls in Dolly’s bedroom

Right Blinds made from antique linen sheets; Maria’s study area features a painted prototype desk and bench, now available to order in either walnut or ash