The Bull Pen is one of five luxury holiday rentals created as part of the painstaking restoration of a sprawling collection of redundant mid-19th-century barns near Bibury that offer distant views over the surrounding Gloucestershire countryside.
'The heritage of these beautiful barns was really important to us'
Pippa Paton and her team worked with owners George and Polly Phillips to design generously proportioned accommodation in spaces that exude the charm of their agricultural past. ‘The heritage of these beautiful barns was really important to us,’ says Pippa, who has skilfully worked with the structure – and the contents – to create interiors that are big on texture and creature comfort.
Weathered stable doors have found new life as coffee tables and artisanal implements, including a baker’s paddle and large, sculptural dough bowls, lend a rich layer of interest to the pared-back interiors.
'The evocative photography of Ed Shepherd records the derelict structures before they were transformed, a reminder of the transformative possibilities of sensitive interior design'
Into this mix, Pippa has added contemporary pieces by established artists, such as Linda Bloomfield, whose ceramics are displayed in the kitchen area, as well as large, abstract works executed in a muted colour palette by Archie Leschallas, a recent graduate, and photography by Amy Bateman.
The furniture is a mixture of new and old; as well as upholstered sofas and tub chairs designed by Pippa, there are also vintage pieces, many of them vast in scale.
Another feature that acknowledges the agricultural heritage of the barns is the evocative photography of Ed Shepherd that records the derelict structures before they were transformed and which are a reminder of the transformative possibilities of sensitive interior design.
To find out more about Pippa Paton and her work, visit www.pippapatondesign.co.uk
To find out more about Bibury Farm Barns, Gloucestershire, visit www.biburyfarm.com
Credit: Harry Lowther/Lewis & Wood
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