Classic Country House With Avant-Garde Fusion

The Old Vicarage, Oxfordshire

An Enchanting Twist on Countryside Living

A classic country house with a fusion of old versus new, boutique-style design, and bespoke and antique pieces that give a nod to heritage, nature, and the joy of entertaining.

Step through the threshold at The Old Vicarage in Oxfordshire, and be bathed in a blissful countryside home. Thanks to its carefully curated design, the look is eclectic, yet classic and lived-in, yet chic.

The mood is low-stress and authentic; a life and dog-friendly space with hardwearing materials and fabrics. However, it is also a place of high enjoyment, accents of colour add pleasant contrast to the country house aesthetic, with charming pieces that showcase craftsmanship, allowing for a harmonious blending of notes and tones. These fusions and contrasts have created a dynamically designed yet comfortable home which feels light and airy in the summer months, and deeply cosy in the winter. Quintessential countryside living…

Celebrating the Property’s History Through Interior Design

The entrance and hallways provide earthy and homely tones, with decadent window treatments complementing the historical and architectural features of the property and thoughtfully curated antiques, reflecting the rural countryside surroundings. If any part of the house represents the classic country abode, it’s these spaces which we pass through.

Both entrances provide guests with a crucial first impression of the space – a slight note of shabby chic with antique Persian rugs against the eye-catching period tiled flooring, highlighting the grander dimensions of the property. An old wooden church pew sits comfortably in the main entrance area, a nod to the property’s past as a vicarage, while a luxurious full-length curtain covers the garden door, and when pulled back, reveals a pastoral setting of foliage, flora and longhorn cattle. Notes of burgundy create the cosily domestic yet chic contrast to the wild greenery that sits beyond the doors.

Antique and Decorative Pieces

An antique grandfather clock takes its place in a corner marking the entrance to the kitchen beyond. Above, the pair of egg pendants, crowned with a spectacular leaf/feather plume handmade in brass, work as a statement. A playful touch and the perfect decorative garnish for the house’s busiest area.

A Versatile Living Space for Every Season

An inviting multi-purpose space for all occasions; whether seeking refuge from the cold in front of the open fireplace with the beloved family dogs, or drinks in the peak of summer with windows open to welcome a gentle breeze. The living area is soft and neutral, yet alluring.

Reminiscent of boutique hotels and guest houses, this area’s period dimensions including its lofty ceiling height combine beautifully with bespoke touches, namely the warmth and cosiness of the curved sofa, upholstered in a lush boucle fabric. Scatter cushions complement and contrast each other, bringing playfulness and hints of colour to the space, while the collection of old gilt-framed oil paintings reiterate the setting of the period property.

A Playful Blend of Classic and Contemporary Interiors

Just when you think the relaxed colour tones of the walls and curtains would point to a solely domestic space, the addition of the carefully curated vintage brutalist cabinet, cleverly repurposed as a bar, adds a cheeky yet sophisticated hint of fun – one of the many antique pieces on display, all painstakingly collected over years.

Hand-painted murals make an appearance throughout the house, adding playful touches to the home’s interiors. In the living room, a naturalistic painting of branches and leaves adorn the walls around the antique cabinet, an acknowledgment of the home’s period origins while acting as a reminder of the nature beyond.

Wood Tones in the Game Room Take Centre Stage

The games room is a pleasant blend of various wood textures and richer tones. The selection of interior plants, welcome nature beyond the window into this cosier space. A scroll foot walnut veneer chest of drawers, circa 1860, ties the room’s design together.

A Fusion of Vintage Charm and Modern Playfulness

Aside from the combinations of pastoral, period and earthy colour and texture notes, The Old Vicarage is home to a striking fusion of the old and new, particularly in the dining room.

Sheepskin-covered chairs paired with coral pink colour drenching of the walls and curtains adds distinct playfulness and strikes a glamorous note of Americana, an interesting colour contrast from the rest of the house.

The glass front limed oak cabinet by Francisque Chaleyssin, a pinnacle of the property’s lovingly curated interiors, bounces and reflects natural light during the day, yet radiates warmth and intimacy under soft candlelight in the evening.

The large dining table in the centre of the room highlights the sociability of the space, lending itself well to any celebration from birthdays to holiday festivities.

Textures and Tones

Dainty antique touches, including brass accents on the walls contrast the dusky rose hue of the room, while earthenware pots sit decoratively over the mid-century cabinet adding a sense of texture and a ‘lived-in feel’.

Curated for Contrast

The carefully curated art collection throughout the home makes for an undeniable statement, with modern pieces alongside objet d’art, providing the perfect tonic for the classic dimensions and antique additions.

Striking works by Tom Blachford, Dean West, and Formento + Formento, further emphasise the Americana feel in the living room with dramatic yet chic sophistication.

The Heart of the Home

The domestic heart of the space, the kitchen draws the eye in with its soft colours including olives, beige, creams, stone, and natural earthy colours. A large bespoke banquette upholstered in a hard wearing outdoor fabric surrounds a natural wood round table, signifying communal and carefree living, allowing the family dogs to enjoy the heart of the home as much as the owners do.

The table and chair collection with Danish cord and oak frames give the space a warm and rural quality, a nod to the surroundings and origin of the property.

A modernist, abstract artwork shows off a series of beiges, pinks and a splash of jade calming the eyes and mind, ready for domestic peace.

Practicality with Personality

A country house necessity, the boot room provides a convenient back-of-house area to remove your wellies and brush off muddy paws following a dog walk. Small and functional spaces need not lack personality, and this boot room received a new lease of life painted in Argile’s “Sienne Brulee”. Deeply welcoming colours and textures help ground the room and showcase the original stone walls.

Boutique, Bespoke, and Balanced

Each bedroom has been designed to reflect individuality, embracing a boutique hotel aesthetic with every piece carefully considered to create flow and cohesion.

The primary bedroom features a birch barley twist floor lamp and a pair of 1930s oak drawers either side of a TurnPost four-poster bed, the solid ash bed posts turned by hand on a traditional lathe. Above the bedside tables sit a near pair of elegant Flemish-style, mid-century, ebonised ripple framed Italian mirrors.

Art Deco Flair Meets Countryside Serenity

The House of Hackney wallpaper reflects the views outside the windows of the primary ensuite, again bringing in the wonders of nature via an enchanting composition of leaves and branches that flatters, but doesn’t overwhelm, the natural views beyond.

The Art Deco oak console table brings warmth to the room, with a python skin top providing a pop of edge and contrast.

Timeless Vintage Pieces

A traditional handmade white enamel iron bedstead from The Original Bed Co feels right at home in a secondary bedroom, upholstered in bold modern French prints contrasted with dainty leaves and branches painted around the headboard – the perfect blend of old and new.

Detailed wood textures feature across many of the bedrooms, including bedknobs and table lamps, grounding the spaces in period charm and character.

Attention to Detail

Added touches and accents in the form of brass and textile finishings bring interest and contrast to the bedrooms, inviting the eye to explore key features from room to room.

Rural Murals to Elevate the Bedroom

The flavour of nature continues with further bespoke murals. Painted images of flora even adorn a wooden wardrobe of another bedroom, reiterating the rural and wild setting the house sits in. A pair of Italian mid-century rectangular brass mirrors reflect the patterned accents from the hand painted wardrobe and lampshade to beautiful effect.

In all, the varied types of art, colour, and soft and hard furnishings within The Old Vicarage emphasise the eclecticism of the space, combining the best of period, modern, bespoke, hotel chic, and nature – a house about the easy life where the old and the new find a synergistic rhythm.

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At Designed by Woulfe we take the time to understand our clients’ wishes so that we can tailor our interior design services to the individual requirements of each project.

To discuss a property or for further information, please contact us at [email protected].

No matter the scope or scale of a project, the initial step in our process is to arrange a complimentary consultation with Managing Director & Founder, Brian Woulfe.

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