IH.540
A Family Affair
A Grade II listed Fairytale Cottage in the Surrey Hills
A sense of calm hangs in the air. The landscape here is gentle, all rolling woodland and winding lanes.
A place artists and writers have escaped to for centuries.
Keats. Austen. Meredith et al.
All found beauty and inspiration from the swell and solitude of the Surrey Hills. Nearby Box Hill, Leith Hill and Holmbury.
It’s easy to see why.
And so, to our fairytale cottage in quite possibly the prettiest hamlet of them all. It sits quietly in this storied hilly enclave, cocooned within a historic farmstead. Hard to believe you are a mere 26 miles from the city of London.
HOME TO ALEX AND LOTTIE, IT IS A FAMILY AFFAIR WITH PARENTS LIVING IN THE FARMHOUSE JUST ACROSS THE MEADOW NEXT DOOR. HANDY INDEED.
This house oozes character and charm. Rooms turn and fold in on themselves, ceiling beams running low and timeworn, lending a sense of intimacy and comfort. Wide window sills catch the shifting light, while every threshold speaks to an age of careful making. There are gentle reminders out of every window that this was once a working farm, each building settled in its own sense of history.
This Grade II listed house is an expression of their passion for heritage, for British craftsmanship and a sensitive and authentic emergence of a historic home fit for modern day living. An approach already achieved in the slow restoration of their beloved 16th-century pub just down the road in Hambledon.
THE BRIEF WAS SIMPLE YET DEEPLY PERSONAL: HONOUR THE ORGANIC HONESTY OF THE HOUSE, AND BRING A SEAMLESS FLOW FROM OLD TO NEW. CREATE A SPACE THAT FEELS REAL, LIVED-IN, WELCOMING.
At the rear, architects Helyer Davies together with Andrew Winch of Winch Design set about a sensitive transformation and extension of an old stable block and linked barn into a new light and airy kitchen, dining and family space.
Inside, Inglis Hall’s approach is always rooted in authenticity. Every line, every detail, guided by an unwavering respect for character and craft. No surface as façade. We started, as always, in conversation, listening to rituals, rhythms, the everyday.
DESIGNING IN BLOCKS AND ZONES, WE SHAPE EACH BESPOKE KITCHEN AS A SERIES OF PURPOSEFUL SPACES, WHERE MOVEMENT FEELS THOUGHTFUL AND EVERY ACTIVITY FINDS ITS PLACE.
This strategy ensures not just order, but an everyday ease, preparation, cooking, serving and gathering all flow instinctively. Practicality sits quietly alongside beauty; concealed storage and tactile surfaces are carefully considered so the space is always both functional and inviting.
A wall of textured, band-sawn oak frames the space, quietly concealing the daily tools of life.
A BESPOKE KITCHEN ISLAND CRAFTED THE TRADITIONAL WAY - POST AND PANEL IN PLANED OAK CLAD, SOLID AND STRONG, STANDS READY FOR WEEKDAY SUPPERS AND CELEBRATIONS ALIKE.
Smooth flat panel Fenix kitchen cabinetry in Rosso Namib glows softly in earthy contrast, simple yet unmistakably refined. High oak beams hold the room in a gentle embrace.
This is a kitchen design that celebrates enduring quality and small joys. Black steel doors frame borrowed views of the garden. Light spills in, patterns shifting with the passing hours.
Where tradition and contemporary craft meet, a sense of place lingers, warm, honest, quietly extraordinary. A kitchen made for living, properly and happily.
Image credit Matthew Smith