When Melanie Phipps and her young family left London for North Yorkshire, she was drawn to the idea of merging upmarket glamping with B&B. After much research, she decided to install two shepherd’s huts from Dorset-based manufacturers, Plankbridge. Fitted with bathrooms and woodburners, one stands in a field under an oak tree, the other in the walled garden.
When it came to decorating them, Mrs Phipps opted to include all the comforts of a full-sized house, within the limited space at her disposal. With this in mind, she ensured that the king-size bed is extra-long ‘for tall guests’.
An eye for tiny details is clearly a forte, too. A quiet stripe in rust-red on oatmeal, sourced locally through Waltons Mill Shop, was used for the window blinds and the bed valance; the latter is on a swing arm to access storage underneath the bed. The bed linen was sourced from Cornwall-based Antique Designs.
The walls are covered in tongue-and-groove and painted in Farrow & Ball’s All White and the oak floors are covered with a lime-washed harlequin pattern. Mirrors, sourced from Dairy House Antiques in Wiltshire, have been strategically placed to bounce light around the space.
Meanwhile, Mrs Phipps’s husband, Jake (a respected furniture designer), made the breakfast table, which is supported by a reclaimed hayfeeder bracket.
For more information about The Hut B&B, visit www.thehutbandb.co.uk.
How to transform a Victorian kitchen with bold colour and Georgian-style joinery
Georgian-style joinery and dark colours lend a cosseting feel to this farmhouse kitchen.
Exbury Gardens: The wild woodland tamed by a Rothschild to become one of Britain's great gardens
Untamed woodland was brilliantly transformed into a pioneering garden at Exbury, thanks to the vision of Lionel de Rothschild. Mark
Country Life's top tips on how to be a good client for your builders, architects and designers
Having a great working relationship with the people you trust to transform your home is essential – we spoke to some
-
The Country Life guide to Somerset: What to do, where to stay and how to eatSomerset is rich in natural beauty and history, but it is its wealth of small-scale food and drink producers, farmers and makers that really set it apart from the competition. Find out how to make the most of it all with our indispensable guide.
-
How to make a gloomy city garden into a haven of colour and natureTiffany Daneff discovers how to transform a typically dark London back garden into a light-filled green haven that is always in use. Photographs by Clive Nichols.
-
Beside lamps and reading lights to brighten up your bedroomAmelia Thorpe picks out six of the best reading lights and bedside lamps.
-
Nine delightful bedroom ideas to brighten up your homeDreamy furniture and accessories for the bedroom, chosen by Amelia Thorpe
-
Four ways to give your bedroom the luxury hotel treatmentGiles Kime explains how hotels can teach us to be ahead of inspirational design trends and how we can make our bedrooms design masterpieces.
-
A Cotswolds attic that's been turned into a fairytale fantasy bedroomA space once used for storage has been transformed into a dreamy place for children to sleep by designer Tess Newall.
-
50 best interiors tips of the last 50 years, from legendary interior designer Nina CampbellIn the half century since Nina Campbell set up her decorating business, she has accumulated a depth and breadth of interiors knowledge that is as practical as it is inspiring. Here, she shares the 50 most valuable lessons from a stellar career.
-
A traditional country house bedroom elevated by an astonishing hand-painted wallpaperThe discovery of a hand-painted, botanical wallpaper offered the perfect foundation for the newly-refurbished bedroom in Dorset. Arabella Youens takes a look at a lovely scheme put together by Edward Hurst.
-
The uncomfortable problem of how to find the perfect bedThere’s an art to striking a balance between the most comfortable bed you can afford and the creature comforts necessary for a good night’s sleep, says Giles Kime.
-
The best wardrobes and armoires you can buyWave goodbye to fitted wardrobes with this elegant selection of best wardrobes and armoires, guaranteed to transform any room.
