Bohemian Rhapsody
Homes & Antiques|Special 2024
An exuberant approach to decor, with rooms enveloped in colour and pattern, has brought this historic home merrily into the 21st century...
AMANDA HARLING
Bohemian Rhapsody

Bayfield Hall in North Norfolk - a large 18thcentury country house within 120 acres of parkland - has been in Roger Combe's family for generations. His father, Robin, unexpectedly inherited it as a young man in the 1960s from his great-uncle, Roger Coke. Robin was hoping that he might be left a pair of English shotguns, so to be left the whole estate was a bit of a surprise,' says Caroline, Roger's wife.

In 2005, Roger's parents decided that Roger and Caroline, who were then living in a converted barn on the Bayfield Estate, should take over Bayfield Hall. 'Soon after we swapped homes with my parents-in-law, our fourth baby arrived,' says Caroline. 'Florence was the first child to be born at Bayfield in over 150 years."

Caroline was thrilled to find herself with such a lovely house on which to make her mark - both decoratively, but also structurally - and her confidence and sense of style can be seen throughout. 'It's been a slow process, mainly due to the cost of decorating on such a large scale, but hugely gratifying at the same time,' she says.

Once the evenings start drawing in, the family gravitate towards the 'blue room', which has a large wood burner. This room suffered some unwelcome changes during the 1960s, but a lockdown project brought it back to life. 'Rooms of this size need bold colour and scale, so we added a Totty Lowther wallpaper in a strong shade of blue. I can't recall how many rolls were required but it would have been an expensive mistake if we hadn't liked the finished effect,' says Caroline.

Denne historien er fra Special 2024-utgaven av Homes & Antiques.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra Special 2024-utgaven av Homes & Antiques.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

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