The house had had an eclectic past, owned by artists Peter and Caroline Barker-Mill for over thirty years so I was immediately struck by the importance of honouring its history. Having turned down Channel 4’s Grand Designs, we quietly commenced six months of planning and a further eighteen to restore it, culminating in an award for returning Wookey House to its former glory.

The garden presented an abundance of wildflowers - violets, snowdrops and shades of pink as magnolia trees blossomed in spring. Peter had had the drawing room painted in exactly the same shade as the mauve crocuses he’d adored and so I endeavoured to mirror his vision by bringing the outside in. Wallpapers covered in butterflies, insects and flowers with nature as my focus, I sourced quirky pieces at flea markets - a three legged table, old French carved panels and married them with clean modern lines. Filling the house with vibrant fabrics of velvets, silks and linens - a window seat cushion of green-grass velvet sat amongst papered walls covered in trees, a nook on which to sit and admire the bright yellow aconites gathering below trees in January. Bathrooms with marble or stone floors were fitted with copper and zinc baths which looked as if they’d been there forever. State of the art indoor, as well as outdoor lighting took budgets to new heights. The house told a story of our travels, our family and our love of colour, objects, textures and historical romance.