whole house vibe

By removing walls, inserting new windows, and utilizing a lighter color palette, Mowery Marsh Architects give this historic home a modern, new look.

Patrick Gwynne was only 24 when he designed The Homewood to replace the Victorian property his family already occupied on the site. The luxurious principal rooms are set on the first floor to enjoy views over the luscious 10 acre (4ha) garden, itself largely the work of Gwynne and his father. The bedrooms are arranged in a separate wing raised on pilotis to form a porte-cochère, and joined to the main block by a glazed link enclosing a ceremonial spiral staircase. The numerous built-in fittings and most of the furniture were also designed by the architect. After the Second World War Gwynne returned to The Homewood where he based his practice and remained, subtly adapting and refining it, for the rest of his 90-year life. Now cared for by the National Trust, The Homewood presents the most complete record of its period of a modern architect's personal domestic vision to be found anywhere in England.

LaFayette Studio, which helped with the interiors, selected a Holly Hunt fabric for built-in sofas, which are complemented by a rug from Rush House, a sconce by Brendan Ravenhill Studio, and a Swift ceiling light from Cedar & Moss.

Curtis completely overhauled the shelving, changing the shapes of the niches and covering them in micro-cement.

The house faces the east, so in the evening, sunsets can be enjoyed from the roof terrace but the view of the city below is visible from nearly every room in the house.

The nine-acre property provides plenty of space for the couple’s two labradoodles, Jack and Leo, to roam