Home Style: A Rural Escape

Annabelle and husband Rob had always dreamed of owning a bolthole cottage to provide a rural escape. Eventually they found the ideal cottage and created their perfect relaxing retreat 

Annabelle Smythe and husband Rob always knew that eventually they would love to have a little country bolthole. Over the years, the couple would occasionally do an internet search, clicking through estate agent details but always without success. “Nothing ever quite fitted, either in terms of price or size,” Annabelle recalled, “then one day, a couple of years ago, this cottage suddenly popped up... and everything seemed right. Rob and I looked at each other and said: ‘Are we serious? Shall we?’ It was a scary but exciting moment to think that our dream might actually come true.” 

The couple had to move fast, knowing there would be a lot of interest from other potential buyers. “Rob went to see it on his own initially,” Annabelle explained, “he felt certain this was the one, and we placed an offer before I’d even seen it! Luckily, when I did visit, I was charmed the moment I walked up the path.” 

And no wonder. Set within a quintessential English country garden edged by stone walls and mossy banks, the cottage has a picture-book quality about it. Originally a forge dating back to the 18th century, it had been extended to one side in the 1940s but had lost none of its inherent character. 

Inside the cottage, however, the couple needed to take stock. “It was all perfectly liveable, but basic renovations were required,” Annabelle said. “The décor was tired, and some things needed upgrading. We decided, for instance, that although the kitchen was good quality, the units were very dated, and the wooden floors that had been laid in some areas needed work to bring them back up to scratch.” 

Despite the inevitable disruption from all the work over the ensuing months, there was one element that Annabelle couldn’t wait to see unfold – their new home’s decorative scheme. “On a practical level, I knew I couldn’t manage this on my own,” she explained, “but I still had a strong vision in mind.” 

That vision was inspired by a beautiful holiday cottage the family had stayed in a few years previously. “I found out who the interior designer was that had worked on it,” she recalled, “and then, when I was recommended some designers, her name – Holly Keeling – came up. It was serendipity!” 

The two women hit it off from the start. “It was a very collaborative process,” Annabelle explained. “Our starting point was a huge variety of different fabrics which Holly showed me so that she could understand the style and direction I felt comfortable going in; once we’d established that, the rest of the scheme fell into place...” 

Holly’s signature style effortlessly combines classic English style with more ethnic-inspired pieces, layered with beautifully considered pattern and texture. “I loved the fact that the schemes Holly proposed didn’t stick rigidly to a specific theme,” Annabelle explained. “The aim was to create a rustic, elegant look that combined old and new, and felt really relaxed and comfortable.” 

The most exciting days, Annabelle recalled, were those when Holly would arrive with a carload of ‘treasures’, often followed by a van brimming with furniture. “There would be everything we’d chosen in there and more,” Annabelle laughed. “As the overall look came together before my eyes, I had to pinch myself – was this really our home?” 

And so, it has proved in the subsequent years that they make the most of their rural retreat whenever they get the opportunity. “At the moment, we can’t be here all the time,” Annabelle admitted, “but this is our much-loved bolthole, and we get here as often as we can: after the craziness of everyday life, coming here and escaping to our beautifully relaxing cottage is just wonderful.” 

Photography: Richard Gadsby/ Living4media

Words: Sharon Parsons/Living4media