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.
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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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48 hours in FUNCHAL
Jenny Oldaker discovers Madeira's capital to be an elegant, artistic place with wide open spaces, verdant beauty spots and a picture-perfect sea-facing location...
LUKE HONEY'S Enthusiasms
On an autumn day in 1783, a sheep, a duck, and a rooster became the first living creatures to fly in a hot air balloon.
Collecting NUTCRACKERS
Not just for Christmas, these nostalgic keepsakes come in an abundance of novelty shapes and styles, offering character and affordability for budding collectors
WHY I COLLECT Medals
Oliver Miller, managing director of Bishop & Miller Auctioneers and Valuers, is fascinated by medals - for him it's all about the preservation of stories for future generations...
Fashionably CURATED
Roni Lang's home in Deal, situated above her clothing store, is every bit as creative and stylish as you'd expect from a fashion designer
Work life balance
Lucy and Guy Rutter - a ceramicist and artist respectively - have found the ideal place to live and work: a Victorian property in Faversham attached to a once-neglected studio...
Farm FUSION
A farmhouse near Cape Town has been given a rustic-meets-industrial makeover, using found materials and objects, as well as treasures brought back from afar
SAVVY Sophistication
Affordable and intriguing charity shop and eBay finds are teamed with statement pieces in this impressive Victorian home in West Yorkshire
DARREN APPIAGYEI
The wood artist talks to Dominique Corlett about seed pods, creative reinvention and the life-enhancing feeling of turning a lathe
Collecting Dioramas MINIATURE WORLDS
From elaborate taxidermy museum displays to humble folk art creations, a diorama can transport us to another time and place