The 'root and branch' renovation of a dining room which proves that bold touches of colour can work pretty much anywhere
Arabella Youens looks at the work done in renovating a listed building in Kent.

When the owners of this house decided to use it as their main base rather than a weekend home, they asked Charlotte Crosland to devise a ‘root and branch’ renovation. Taking the house back to a shell, she redesigned the layout and set about completely redecorating the building from top to bottom.
Part of this process involved creating a dining area within the kitchen. Archways either side of the chimney breast were opened up and paint stripped from the fire surround to reveal stone beneath. Dressers were sourced from Cheltenham-based antique dealers Anton & K to go either side.
The table, which is topped in slate, was found at the Decorative Antiques and Textiles Fair in Battersea and an extra leaf added.
Red is a colour that Charlotte turns to in order to add ‘a bit of oomph’ and it’s particularly effective in this space, which is otherwise neutral. The leather salon chairs are from Howe. ‘Leather is a brilliant material: it’s easy to clean and it also ages beautifully,’ she notes.
The trio of French-grey tin pendants, with scalloped edges, were also found at Battersea and the wall lights are by Hannah Woodhouse. At far end of the table is one of two dog portraits by Jonathan Delafield Cook, commissioned by Charlotte.
Dining room v Dining in the kitchen: The great debate
Get the look: The dining room inspired by Long Island
The soft colours of the scheme Philippa Thorp created for this dining room reflects its Long Island setting.
Why the future of the kitchen-diner is more diner than kitchen
Giles Kime takes a look at the new breed of kitchens that could easily be mistaken for dining rooms.
Sign up for the Country Life Newsletter
Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.
Credit: Kimpton Fitzroy
The Kimpton Fitzroy: A dog-friendly London luxury hotel whose architect created the First Class dining room on the Titanic
The Kimpton Fitzroy is a central London hotel full of history that's perfect for an opulent weekend in the Big
-
Five frankly enormous mansions, including one with its own private swimming lake, as seen in Country Life
Sometimes bigger really is better.
By Toby Keel Published
-
Playing the fool: The rich history of tarot and how it satisfies our desire for transcendence
Once an elaborate art form that entertained 15th-century Italian nobility, tarot cards have evolved into a tool of divination. A new exhibition shines a light on their history.
By Deborah Nicholls-Lee Published
-
Injecting colour, pattern and character into a once-plain sitting room
Books, art and textiles transformed a once-characterless space into a warm, inviting sitting room.
By Arabella Youens Published
-
Say no to boring walls: Six choices of paint and paper which will get people talking
Amelia Thorpe picks out some glorious alternatives to just painting everything white.
By Amelia Thorpe Published
-
'Not cheap... but cheaper than a divorce lawyer': Why it pays to hire a consultant to choose the perfect paint colour
Driven to distraction by paint charts? A colour consultant could be the answer for anyone befuddled by choosing the right hue, says Giles Kime.
By Giles Kime Published
-
Room with a cru — how an 'enduring legacy of lockdown' is the latest must have in interior design
Long gone are the dusty cellars of the past. Now is the time to make the place you store your wine as pleasurable as drinking it.
By Amelia Thorpe Published
-
The secret to transforming an awkwardly shaped room
Cave Interiors turned the awkwardly shaped sitting room of an Edwardian house into a warm and welcoming space.
By Arabella Youens Published
-
A gloomy kitchen entirely re-created as a cosy living space
When Nicole Salvesen and Mary Graham were asked to redecorate a country house in Berkshire, the first task was to turn a dark space into a colourful sitting room.
By Arabella Youens Published
-
A living room that's a lesson in how to restore lost character in a historic space
Nicola Harding used rich colours and textures to enhance the historic character of a Jacobean house in Berkshire.
By Arabella Youens Published
-
The slipper chair: How one of America's great designers produced a classic of armless fun
The slipper chair might have its roots in the 18th century, but it owes its compact, convivial appeal to Billy Baldwin, a giant of 20th-century American interior design.
By Giles Kime Published