Elle Decoration Country - Far from the madding crowd

Da Sotto le querce.

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Elle Decoration Country
Far from the madding crowd

This sprawling country estate in Surrey is an antidote to the stresses of city life.

Words by Michael Gardner. Photos by Laziz Hamani - Elle Decoration Country November 2019


Michael Gardner

November 2019

This sprawling country estate in Surrey is an antidote to the stresses of city life.

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There are many ways to leave London. Non matter the route, it’s important to remember it’s a physical, mental and emotional journey. What does one seek elsewhere? When travelling to Surrey, the answer is clear: nature, space and a certain way of life.

To reach this estate, you must travel down winding, narrow lanes, whose directions are dictated by old trees and ancient road plans. Inextricably linked to London, the city is close, but once you arrive the rest of the world falls away.


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Designed by a pupil of the great Edwin Lutyens, this two-storey home was built in the early 1900s. The location, walled gardens and panoramic vistas are the stuff of dreams; the interiors, however, were less than inspiring. A previous owner had installed a transparent glass staircase, white modernist rooms and incongruous French parquet. ‘We worked to peel back the recent layers,’ says Boris Vervoordt, director of world-renowned Axel Vervoordt Company. ‘In doing so, we restored certain emotions to the atmosphere.’

A second-floor guest bedroom was removed, allowing for the creation of a double-height library space next to the central hall, in which floor-to-ceiling bookshelves are filled with art, books and other treasures collected by the family. Guests now enter through a discreet side entrance, and the original hall has become a cosy sitting room. Also on the ground floor is a generous family kitchen, a chef’s kitchen and a formal dining area, as well as additional snug nooks and workspaces for reading and conversation. The French parquet was replaced with reclaimed oak floorboards, while the listed oak panelling, which had been over-restored and was shiny with a weighty feel, has been treated so as to become lighter, and matt in finish, dramatically lifting the overall mood.


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A traditional approach would have been to fill the spaces with 18th-century English antiques, but instead the team chose French farm furniture, mid-century Scandinavian designs, as well as English pieces to create a layered, thought-provoking narrative. Now proudly connected to its history, the house comes alive with hearths burning all day and the rooms filled with the family and their friends. In between long nature walks, this is truly a home for all seasons.

There are many ways to leave London. Non matter the route, it’s important to remember it’s a physical, mental and emotional journey. What does one seek elsewhere? When travelling to Surrey, the answer is clear: nature, space and a certain way of life.

To reach this estate, you must travel down winding, narrow lanes, whose directions are dictated by old trees and ancient road plans. Inextricably linked to London, the city is close, but once you arrive the rest of the world falls away.


Elle Decoration Country - November 2019 - Far from the madding crowd-7-8.jpg


Designed by a pupil of the great Edwin Lutyens, this two-storey homewas built in the early 1900s. The location, walled gardens and panoramic vistas are the stuff of dreams; the interiors, however, were less than inspiring. A previous owner had installed a transparent glass staircase, white modernist rooms and incongruous French parquet. ‘We worked to peel back the recent layers,’ says Boris Vervoordt, director of world-renowned Axel Vervoordt Company. ‘In doing so, we restored certain emotions to the atmosphere.’

A second-floor guest bedroom was removed, allowing for the creation of a double-height library space next to the central hall, in which floor-to-ceiling bookshelves are filled with art, books and other treasures collected by the family. Guests now enter through a discreet side entrance, and the original hall has become a cosy sitting room. Also on the ground floor is a generous family kitchen, a chef’s kitchen and a formal dining area, as well as additional snug nooks and workspaces for reading and conversation. The French parquet was replaced with reclaimed oak floorboards, while the listed oak panelling, which had been over-restored and was shiny with a weighty feel, has been treated so as to become lighter, and matt in finish, dramatically lifting the overall mood.


Elle Decoration Country - November 2019 - Far from the madding crowd-11-12.jpg


A traditional approach would have been to fill the spaces with 18th-century English antiques, but instead the team chose French farm furniture, mid-century Scandinavian designs, as well as English pieces to create a layered, thought-provoking narrative. Now proudly connected to its history, the house comes alive with hearths burning all day and the rooms filled with the family and their friends. In between long nature walks, this is truly a home for all seasons.


Elle Decoration Country - November 2019 - Far from the madding crowd-2.jpg

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Elle Decoration Country - November 2019 - Far from the madding crowd-10.jpg Elle Decoration Country - November 2019 - Far from the madding crowd-13.jpg
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