Interior Design
Ashmore Farm, Dorset
Spiritform
Etchingham Morris Architects Ltd
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The brief
Ashmore Farm is a ten bedroom Edwardian country house set in 150 acres in Cranbourne Chase, North Dorset, an area of outstanding natural beauty. Many of the property's period features have been lost due to insensitive development over the years, and the living and circulation spaces are now poorly laid out. The brief is to reinstate this property to its former glory, creating a practical, comfortable and elegant family home. The client would like the building to be divided into two distinct wings: a formal east wing for entertaining and a more informal west wing which will be used as a relaxed family space.
The solution
Our key task is to re-decorate and furnish all rooms within the house, including a kitchen/breakfast room, family room, reception hall, dining room, library, drawing room, billiard room, ten bedrooms, ten bathrooms, and a swimming pool complex including a gym and games room. The priority is to create a space for family living whilst reinstating a sense of splendour to the interior.
We first carried out extensive research into the history, architecture and contextual surroundings of the house to strengthen and inspire our design approach. This, combined with the front façade's period features, revealed a distinct French influence with which to form the basis of our design. A natural colour palette and materials will help to create an informal feel for the kitchen and family areas, where people can relax and enjoy themselves. This comfortable space will link harmoniously to the annexe accommodation, an oak framed building, which incorporates the indoor swimming pool and gym.
The more formal spaces of the house will be given their own identity with an eclectic mix of antique and modern furniture, creating the impression that the interior has developed over time and is part of the architectural fabric. As entirely appropriate to the date of the house, we will use a colour palette of stone, greens and paler greys in flat finishes to tie these formal spaces together and bring a symmetry to the overall interior design.
The early stages of the interior decoration design process allow us to ensure that many of the finishes and fittings are sourced and crafted locally or from sustainable sources. For example the selected white Portland limestone floor is quarried in Dorset while the kitchen and wooden panelling will be hand crafted by a local joiner.
The project is due to complete in January 2010.
Project team: Interior Design and Lighting Design
Design stage: Briefing and Concept Design Stage
