Character Reference

Despite its youthful provenance, this country home in Hampshire has been painstakingly crafted to exude Georgian elegance, all enhanced by a soft colour palette and a carefully edited collection of reclaimed and antique pieces.

- Elizabeth Hutton With Arabellast John Parker

Fi Crole has always dreamed of building her own home, which is why, when she and her husband were told that the foundations of their newly purchased Hampshire house were not sound for any extension work, Fi rose to the challenge with alacrity. “I knew what I wanted, a new house that felt old,” says Fi. “A contemporary build, but with Georgian character. From the outside, the house would be pretty and traditional but not too grand. On the inside, with French doors, sash windows and high ceilings, it would feel light and airy but not modern.”

CREATING A SENSE OF CALM 

Today, walking through the finished building, with its spacious rooms and generous, artfully placed sightlines that flow from front to back and side to side on every floor, it is clear that Fi’s ambition has been beautifully realised, thanks in no small part, she says, to her architect, Mike Fowler, of Fowler Architecture and Planning.

Although the house is spacious enough for the rooms to take plenty of colour, Fi (an interior designer of some 20 years’ standing)has held back from using bold tones, favouring a softer set of hues to decorate the classic interior. She says she is more adventurous with her clients but explains that, “I need a really relaxing environment at home, one that will allow me to come back from work and have the space to think creatively. I can’t be too daring here.” Her lead palette of pale raspberry and peony pinks mixed with light greens set against a backdrop of chalky whites may not be daring, but it is unquestionably effective, creating a gentle, visually soothing atmosphere.