Find out how this English country home got its Californian vibe
With its timber-slatted ceilings, lofty living space and stone-clad, double-sided chimney breast, this voluminous build could easily be mistaken for a mid-century Californian home. The reality, however, is that rather than a hillside in sunny Silver Lake, it’s in the Cotswolds, on a plot of undulating farmland.
Once a granary, the building had fallen into disrepair before being restored by a local cabinet-maker. ‘He ended up selling it to our clients straight away, so it had never been occupied before they moved in,’ explains Scott Maddux, co-founder of Maddux Creative, the visionary interior-design studio charged with the property’s redesign.
‘Although all the walls were white and it lacked a little bit of soul, the great thing was that the architectural elements were already in place, so there were lots of details to work with – we just had to cosy it up.’
Completed in 2024 as a second home for a repeat customer, the house contains an open-plan ground floor and four bedrooms, three on the first floor, which are linked by a mezzanine walkway. ‘The whole thing felt a little LA, so we definitely leaned into that,’ says Scott. As such, an earthy, 1970s-inspired palette of pinks, burnt oranges and browns was chosen, to complement the richly coloured timber and work in harmony with the external landscape.
Texture reigns throughout, found in shaggy Moroccan rugs, knotted-rope art and huge woven pendants, while bespoke curved sofas covered in slubby bouclé fabric create a conversation-pit vibe. ‘They’re based on vintage pieces that we sourced for a client in the Hamptons,’ Scott continues. ‘Although they’re big, they’re easy to move and make things feel really welcoming.’
At the floor-to-ceiling windows, full-width voiles gently filter the light. ‘I love a patterned sheer, and this is also our design. We played around with overlapping round and square-edged shapes, and again, it feels very mid-century.’
The kitchen was already thoughtfully designed, says Scott, and they opted not to change the existing teal hue. ‘The clients really embraced bold shades in their last project, so this works as a flash of contrasting colour.’
In the dining zone, a clutch of classic Niels Møller chairs with paper-cord seats surround a table by Willy Rizzo and, referencing further the SoCal aesthetic, live-edge timber pieces, including a dramatic headboard in the main bedroom, come courtesy of Hastings-based furniture-maker John Alfredo Harris. ‘John is a genius in the way he enhances wood’s natural characteristics,’ says Scott. ‘We saw the gnarliest, most amazing bit of elm and knew it was the one.’
The aim, he concludes, was always to create a laidback and functional space that really connects with its surroundings. ‘It may not always be as sunny as LA, but hopefully we’ve brought a little touch of that warmth to the gorgeous Cotswolds countryside.’ madduxcreative.com
