Tour this cozy English countryside home set up for a season of festive gatherings

Picture the perfect place to spend a country Christmas and this idyllic Carolean manor in Sussex with its elegant house design would surely be a top contender. The ancient Grade II-listed property has undergone a substantial renovation, and celebrating its bones, while coaxing it into the 21st century, was the challenge that faced interior design studio K&H Design.

The clients had completely fallen in love with the enchanting building but wanted to develop it into a practical and beautiful family home. ‘The brief was to restore and enhance its DNA and modernize the property,’ explains founder, Katie Glaister.

Katie continues, ‘What this meant was respecting the original and listed features and aligning them with the new design. For example, we were careful to incorporate wall paneling to conceal and preserve features that didn’t quite sit within the new spaces.'

'We also worked with the large inglenook stone fireplaces, the ancient elm floorboards, and the intimate low-beamed ceilings, and then we played a game with the furniture', she explains.

Katie goes on: 'We introduced contemporary barley twist pieces as a nod to the Carolean heritage. It’s very much Sussex designer style, with an emphasis on handcrafted items. We love to support local artisans and craftsmen, and locally fashioned furniture also suits the nature of the house.’

The interior designer worked closely with architect Nick Hebden on planning to ensure the rooms flowed and to weave in en-suite bathrooms, incorporate wine cellars, and marry the traditional ancient part of the house with a stunning modern glass house extension that overlooks the lake.

This new extension space houses the elegant farmhouse-style kitchen, designed in collaboration with Kate Feather, with its beamed vaulted ceiling, plus the more contemporary style dining room, with its voluptuously curved table, both of which are the focus of Christmas entertaining.

Katie was keen to give each space a sense of purpose. ‘We always want to make sure that every room is used, so we were careful not to throw on this fantastic extension that meant the family lived in the kitchen the whole time,’ says Katie.

Sociability and family time are underlined with an array of convivial spaces throughout. A cozy drawing room invites lingering by the fire, while window seats entice guests to sit and admire the view. A games room serves as the go-to for making cocktails and playing cards and board games.

Charleston, Sussex, and Arts and Crafts influenced the bedroom design. A cupboard is hand-painted in Charleston style and a fine Sussex chair, characterized by its turned frame and rush seat, is seamlessly integrated. The largely soft, muted palette throughout evokes a calm and serene ambiance.

‘The ceilings are quite low in the old part of the house and we didn’t want to make the rooms too dark, so we injected depth of color into the center of the spaces so they remain light,’ explains Katie.

Katie continues, 'The client was incredibly open to embracing eclecticism, mixing old and contemporary, pattern and texture. The house needed to feel welcoming and lived-in. Instinctively, our clients gravitated towards multicolored fabrics, resulting in the choice of a simpler, more neutral palette for the walls, which we used throughout to aid the flow from room to room.’

One notable exception to the pared-back palette is the upstairs snug, which exudes joie de vivre, with zingy green walls rubbing shoulders with a punchy patterned sofa.

‘If this had been a downstairs central room, I probably wouldn’t have chosen to be this bold,’ explains Katie. ‘Since it sits between the children’s attic bedrooms and is used just by the family for special film time, we had the freedom to be more playful and indulgent. We’re always hungry to embrace pattern and color.

Meet the designer

Katie Glaister shares her style inspiration

GO-TO COLOR
I don’t think we have done a project where hues of teal don’t make an appearance.

YOUR STYLE IN THREE WORDS
Personalized, embracing, detailed, natural… four!

DESIGN HERO
It changes, but currently a distant relative, Godfrey Blount (1859-1937), has captured my attention.

I KNOW I’M A CREATIVE BECAUSE…
I stayed with friends in their beautiful, but very draughty, guest room. To their horror, I automatically rearranged the furniture to create a snugger sleeping experience. So I guess creating spaces that are innately comfortable is ingrained in me.

WHAT’S ON YOUR CHRISTMAS TABLE
Fresh greenery, candles, home-made crackers, every condiment you can imagine, lychees and Turkish delight.

FAVORITE CHRISTMAS DECORATION
The tree! At Christmas, I often head off on an international adventure, returning with a local decoration each time.

HOME MAKES ME FEEL…
‘Identified’. It's a part of me.