There’s a particular magic to the English countryside in the summer—patchwork fields roll toward the sunlit horizon, hedgerows burst with wildflowers, and winding lanes meander past quiet stone cottages. Life here moves at a gentler pace, marked by morning market visits and lingering garden lunches under expansive blue skies. It was this easy, idyllic rhythm that inspired a family of five to purchase a three-story, five bedroom Georgian house in Devon as a summer retreat from their busy lives in London.
They envisioned a home that felt joyful, playful, and rich with color. Naturally, British designer Nicola Harding, who worked on their London residence in 2020, came to mind. “They are the most lovely family, full of personality,” says Harding. “The brief for this holiday home was totally irresistible: the wife wanted the feeling of love and joy to radiate through it.”
The dining area features chairs by Maison Drucker, an antique dining table from Lorfords, and a pendant light from Agapanthus Interiors.
But before the fun began, some structural rethinking was required. “The original part of the house was a rabbit warren of intimate little spaces, while a newer addition had a vast open-plan layout,” Harding says. “We needed to get them to sit comfortably next to each other and feel cohesive.”
Harding collaborated with Patrick Kinmonth, International Editor at Large for World of Interiors, to add a glass extension that links the old house to a former stable block, wrapping around the entry and branching off the kitchen. The result is a home that gracefully merges old and new. The entry features a rough stone wall inhabited by a reclaimed wood dresser from an old English farmhouse, overseen by a modern glass ceiling and cheeky neon sign. Further in, a vast space is broken up into nooks: a kitchen, dining, and lounge area that opens into the sun-filled orangery.
Step Inside This English Countryside Retreat
When it came to infusing personality, Harding didn’t hold back. “These clients are very modest people—they’re not grand or ostentatious,” Harding says. “Even though the house is large and the architecture quite formal, our goal was to make it feel playful and intimate.”
Harding knows what it means to make a house feel like home. As the daughter of a helicopter pilot, she moved frequently, living in the U.S., Germany, and across the UK. “Creating that feeling of home for myself became hugely important,” she says—this sentiment now defines her approach to every project.
“I love when a house feels like it’s evolved over time, with pieces added from holidays or given by friends,” Harding says. “That kind of happenstance creates a space that feels relaxed, layered, and truly lived-in.”
The kitchen walls are painted in Edward Bulmer’s Nicaragua, while the ceiling features Pure and Original’s Old Rose. The oven nook tiles are by Emery et Cie and the counter stools are from Howe London.
The kitchen is awash in a dusty pink, the shade Nicaragua by Edward Bulmer, anchored by a dramatic arch tiled in sultry oxblood red. Nearby, a large scrub pine clubhouse table is surrounded by sky-blue French chairs with red accents (in the orangery, you’ll see those chairs in reversed colorways). Velvet furniture in mustard and navy add bold moments, grounded by an ashy gray reclaimed stone fireplace.
“For me, color is that language of feeling within a space,” Harding says. “It’s the degree of contrast that really brings a room to life.”
There’s little sign of standard-issue kitchen appliances—the sink is tucked into a vintage dresser, and the fridge is hidden behind antique cabinetry. “It feels more like a cherished loft than a utilitarian cooking space,” Harding notes, “with huge windows framing the countryside and sunlight pouring in all day.”
Upstairs, the twin boys’ room is a riot of playful prints. The wallpaper is scattered with clovers—some lucky, some not—and the beds are crowned with striped headboards in aqua and brown. Bright yellow nightstands complete the cheerful scene.
In the colorful kids’ bedroom, the headboard and valance and their fabrics are by NiX, the fabric for the headboard trim is by Dedar, and the bedside tables are by GeorgieWykeham. The cushions are from Penny Worral and Ferm Living and the wallpaper is Svenskt Tenn.
In contrast, the primary bedroom is quiet and romantic. A four-poster bed is draped in sheer fabric against walls painted in the same whisper-soft pink as the kitchen. There are almost no hard edges—bedside tables are skirted in the same chocolate-striped fabric found in the boys’ room, topped with antique lamps. Underfoot, a hand-dyed cotton dhurrie in subtle, uneven tones adds depth and a sense of age.
For this family, the Devon retreat is more than just a getaway—it’s a living expression of who they are and how they want to live: lighthearted, connected, and fully at ease.
“It was about creating a space where love lives in the walls,” Harding says. “And I think you can feel that the moment you walk in.”
Rachel Silva is the associate digital editor at ELLE DECOR, where she covers all things design, architecture, and lifestyle. She also oversees the publication’s feature article coverage, and is, at any moment, knee-deep in an investigation on everything from the best spa gifts to the best faux florals on the internet right now. She has more than 16 years of experience in editorial, working as a photo assignment editor at Time and acting as the president of Women in Media in NYC. She went to Columbia Journalism School, and her work has been nominated for awards from ASME, the Society of Publication Designers, and World Press Photo.
