Henriette von Stockhausen creates elegant harmony in a grand country house

They bought the property in 2007, moved from London into the gatehouse in 2009 with their two small children, and had a third child, all in quick succession. They had always intended to rebuild the main house, which was 20th-century red brick with uPVC windows and low ceilings. But it was only after they bought it that they discovered the previous owners had commissioned plans for a replacement from renowned classical architect Quinlan Terry. Emboldened to approach him, they asked if he would work for them on a new design. Quinlan and, later, his son Francis Terry, took on the job. ‘I was happy to let my husband Philip oversee the build,’ says Claudia. ‘My only stipulation was I didn’t want pillars – too pretentious for a modern house. Martyn Winney, senior associate architect at Francis Terry and Associates, was superb. We trusted him completely.’

Claudia’s pillar veto was respected, and she and Philip agreed on a layout: an impressive entrance hall with a hand-some staircase and galleried landing; an enfilade of kitchen, sitting room and drawing room along the back of the house; a dining room, study and meeting room for Philip, who is an entrepreneur, at the front of the house. Upstairs, there is a main bedroom suite with Claudia’s study next door and, across the landing, there are four spare rooms. The children’s bed-rooms are on the second floor, and the basement houses a gym and a party room. But when it came to furnishing and decorating, Philip and Claudia required a helping hand.

‘At first, I wanted to do it all myself,’ says Claudia. ‘My mother was an artist and I have always been interested in art and design – I like a strong, modern look. Philip wanted something a little more traditional – more English country house. When I realised I was being too ambitious, we started to interview decorators. We saw everyone. So many big names.’

It turned out the answer was closer to home – Henriette von Stockhausen, of VSP Interiors, arguably also a big name. ‘Heni is a friend and had given us informal advice in the past,’ says Claudia. ‘This time, we needed the full service. We took her on and it was the best decision. There were lots of different things to consider, but she has done the most wonderful job of pleasing us both.’

Henriette agrees that a project on this grand scale was ‘challenging at times, but then I always love a challenge’. She explains, ‘We found creative ways to give the traditional elements of the house a distinctly modern edge. For example, by placing an antique oil painting in a contemporary frame, or by upholstering club armchairs in vibrant, jewel-bright colours. Equally, we had to work out how best to mix modern pieces – such as Claudia’s mother’s paintings and collages – with the antiques that Philip loves.’

The choice of wallcoverings and curtains throughout the house cleverly uses scale and texture to make classic designs and fabrics acceptable to both sides of the aesthetic divide. The Watts 1874 wallcovering that lines the double-height entrance hall features the motifs and colour palette of the 17th-century tapestry from which the design is taken (with a few bespoke additions, including horses), but the pumped-up scale gives it a bold, almost abstract feel. And the silk damask of the drawing room curtains has a knocked-back subtlety that, combined with the timeless simplicity of plain box pelmets, makes it acceptable to Claudia.

‘Heni is incredibly clever at coming up with touches that lift a room from straightforward trad to something more interesting,’ says Claudia. ‘In Philip’s study, she added a border of studded leather to the panelling and, in the dining room, she highlighted the dark blue paint with silver, which catches the light beautifully in the evening.’