A handsome Georgian rectory in Hampshire with contemporary country interiors by Tamsyn Mason
“I'm lucky – I get to work in beautiful houses, but this one is particularly lovely,” says interior Tamsyn Mason of this Georgian rectory on the Hampshire-Wiltshire border. Grade-II-listed and adjoining the village's church, it has a handsome symmetrical façade, though Tamsyn describes it as “not grand – it has a family feel with a few more elegant rooms at the front.” Originally called in to give the place a simple decorative refresh for the new owners, a family with three children and four dogs, Tamsyn found that it was a larger undertaking than she had originally thought.
A variety of previous owners had tinkered with the house, adding modern extensions but neglecting the fundamental elements such as plumbing and electrics. Tamsyn embarked on a full rewire and replumb, alongside important work to “bring the soul back to the house”. This entailed refurbishing beautiful old elm floors rather than replacing them with new boards, as well as committing to the painstaking job of restoring the Venetian window that matches the one in the church. “It took ages,” Tamsyn admits, “but the specialist we called in did it perfectly. There's still that slight wonk to the wood and the shutters, and wobbly glass that shows the passage of time – little things like that make such a difference”.
Tamsyn's respect for the character of a house is deeply ingrained in her work as a designer, and it is perfectly exemplified in this project, even though it could make life more difficult. “We didn’t replaster the walls, so hanging the curtain poles was a nightmare,” she remembers. “You have to hang them to the eye, rather than with a spirit level. The pole hanger truly hated me but it's a job worth doing. Everything is wonky and it still feels like an old house.” It was this respect for English country houses, combined with her contemporary approach to colour and sourcing, that drew the clients to Tamsyn in the first place.
“My client was very design literate and knew what she wanted,” Tamsyn explains, pointing to the yellow hallway that the client was determined to have. Tamsyn has an eye for colour – “colour is something I love, from brights to neutrals and the science behind it” – and knew immediately that ‘Sudbury Yellow’ from Farrow & Ball would be the right choice. “The volume of the hallway is lovely but it’s dark. Using colour against a cooler neutral means it doesn't look too contemporary or too staid.” In the main bedroom, where Tamsyn undertook structural changes to create a larger suite, the client specifically requested the Pierre Frey wallpaper. Tamsyn paired it with curtains in Rose Uniacke's ‘Macaron’ wool, adding a pelmet to allow for full blackout at night. “It's a request I get more and more in my projects.”
The bedroom is in the original part of the house, which is particularly characterful, but in the modern parts of the house, a little more work was required to make the rooms beautiful. While the drawing room with its double aspect and Venetian window can speak for itself, “the extension on the house has different room proportions and less architectural merit,” as Tamsyn puts it, “so we layered more in those spaces to make them special in their own way”. One such example is the spare bedroom, where Tamsyn went all out with a bed canopy in a Penny Morrison fabric and double layered curtains to make it a magical space for guests. She also employed a very clever curtain rail in the dormer windows – a tricky window to dress – to allow as much light in as possible. Rather than a rail across the top, she added poles on hinges so the thick curtains swing open and shut. It's a small, but mightily clever detail.
The wonderful thing about the house for the family is that they've found they really do use all of it. The laundry room was moved upstairs to make way for a muddy boot room (necessary for the owners' four dogs), while a TV room lined with bookshelves in a soft red is the perfect place for the children to curl up in the evening. The drawing room – a room which can feel unloved when no guests are in the house – is well used by the adults. As for the dining room, that gets used as a work space (in addition to the study with its glorious views on the first floor) as well as for entertaining. It's testament to Tamsyn's work that nothing about the house feels precious. As she says, “you could move any bit of furniture around in that house and it would work. Nothing feels contrived but all the individual pieces work together”.
Country houses are where Tamsyn feels most at home, having grown up in “an old cottage with really thick walls”. “I’ve worked in lots of brand new houses,” she says “but it’s nice to work in houses with history and bring out what you already have in a lovely old house. Character and soul should be retained,” she emphasises, and they certainly have been here.
Tamsyn Mason is a member of The List by House & Garden, our essential directory of design professionals. Visit The List by House & Garden here.
Christopher Horwood1/23An antique runner adds further colour to the hallway, which features an antique Welsh dresser sourced by Tamsyn.
Christopher Horwood2/23Tamsyn looked to Jamb for a suitable fireplace surround, hearth and grate to be in keeping with the history of the house. She sourced the ottoman from Max Rollitt and covered it in Guy Goodfellow's ‘Fez Weave’.
Christopher Horwood3/23The sofa is from George Smith, covered in Soane's ‘Old Flax’, while the fireplace fender features ‘Olive Maroc Leather’ from Howe 36 Bourne Street.
Christopher Horwood4/23Tamsyn designed all the kitchen cabinetry and had it made by Guild Anderson. The pendants over the island are Alix D Reynis.
Christopher Horwood5/23Soane's ‘Persian Flower’ was used for the blinds and the cabinets are painted in ‘Stony Ground’ from Farrow & Ball.
Christopher Horwood6/23There is a dining area in the kitchen, with a bespoke chandelier from Richard Taylor Designs and a beautiful cabinet of glassware.
Christopher Horwood7/23The dining room in the older part of the house is used also a workspace in the day. Robert Kime's ‘Basilica’ wallpaper lines the walls. Tamsyn paired an antique Georgian table with Julian Chicester's more contemporary ‘Wave’ sideboard.
Christopher Horwood8/23The snug is a jolly space with bookshelves painted in Farrow & Ball's ‘Book Room Red’ and ‘Wattle’ wallpaper from Robert Kime on the other walls. The sofa is covered in a corduroy from Howe 36 Bourne Street.
Christopher Horwood9/23Tamsyn reconfigured the house to move the laundry room upstairs, allowing the boot room to be its own space, ideal for a family with four dogs.
Christopher Horwood10/23The cabinets – bespoke by Guild Anderson – are painted in ‘Messel’ by Mylands. The blind is Nicole Fabre's ‘Chestnuts’ fabric.
Christopher Horwood11/23The downstairs loo is a favourite room of Tamsyn's, wrapped in Antoinette Poisson wallpaper. Tamsyn converted the washstand from an antique sideboard and used Nicky Haslam's ‘Balcony Stripe’ for the blinds.
Christopher Horwood12/23‘Sudbury Yellow' runs throughout the hallway, up to the landing for the master suite and study.
Christopher Horwood13/23Pierre Frey's 'Le Paravent Chinois' covers the walls of the master bedroom, chosen by the client. Tamsyn paired it with a headboard and valance in Guy Goodfellow's ‘Roussillon’.
Christopher Horwood14/23The curtains and pelmet are Rose Uniacke wool in ‘Macaron’. All these details carry on into the adjoining dressing room.
Christopher Horwood15/23Edward Bulmer's pretty soft pink ‘Jonquil’ has been used in the master bathroom, where mirrors and wall lights from Vaughan pair with a vanity from Porter.
Christopher Horwood16/23Tamsyn opted for Soane's ‘Espalier Square’ on the blind and covered the chair in a Fanny Shorter ‘Mill Oak’ fabric.
Christopher Horwood17/23The study is on the first floor and has the most wonderful views. It is painted in ‘Berrington Blue’ from Farrow & Ball and features Penny Morrison curtains.
Christopher Horwood18/23The guest bedroom has many layers of decoration to make up for the lack of architectural merit. The bed hanging is a Penny Morrison fabric, with Fermoie fabric on the headboard and valance.
Christopher Horwood19/23The double lined curtains feature Pierre Frey's ‘Greuze’ on one side and Robert Kime's ‘Our Lining’ on the other. The wallpaper is also Robert Kime and called ‘Grille’.
Christopher Horwood20/23The same wallpaper carries over into the guest bathroom, as does ‘Greuze’ for the blind (not pictured).
Christopher Horwood21/23One of the children's bedrooms is lined with ‘Mr Men’ wallpaper in ‘Clover’ from Howe 36 Bourne Street.
Christopher Horwood22/23The desk is painted in ‘Giles Blue’ from Farrow & Ball.
Christopher Horwood23/23The children's bathroom follows the same blue and green scheme.
