Country Living UK Modern Rustic 23

The attraction of escaping to the country to live a quieter, more elemental existence is a dream that many of us hold. And recent events, including the restructuring of the working week and advances in technology, have enabled this move to be more accessible still. More than ever, people are moving out of urban areas to release capital, gain space and work on an exciting new-build, customise an existing building or take a refreshing modern approach to decorating an old one. In this edition, we visit people across the globe who have realised a dream of escaping to a slower pace of life. Suzanne Simons and Fabio Firli left the hustle and bustle of Tivoli in Italy to restore a rustic stone farmhouse, which dates from the 1700s. Their family now…

COLOUR OF LIFE Most of the furniture at the farmhouse is on simple, modern lines, such as the wooden B&B Italia coffee table and pair of re-covered chairs Robin Day designed for Habitat. Painter Julie’s large abstract canvases mirror the earthy palettes of the finca and surrounding countryside: “I am inspired by the colours of Mallorca: olive, terracotta and turquoise” RAW MATERIALS Original ceiling timbers contrast with a micro cement floor in the double-height kitchen, where wooden doors open onto a terrace with sea views. Freifrau’s Leya soft leather upholstered bar stools are grouped around a Poliform kitchen island while contemporary black and brass lighting from Holloways of Ludlow continues a metallic theme in the house THE LONG VIEW Julie and husband Mark joined the two original buildings together and added a second floor to…

BACKGROUNDS THROUGHOUT PAINTED IN LICHEN AND BANCHA ESTATE EMULSION, £54.50/2.5L. LINENS FROM BACKGROUNDS PROP HIRE (BACKGROUNDSPROPHIRE.CO.UK)…

ALL IN THE MIX The established garden (previous pages) encloses the house – owners Nadia and Massimo made the table with chunky trestle bases and a top finished with a concrete-effect paint. The kitchen is constructed from old reclaimed timber, with an anthracite grey range cooker by Richmond Stoves PLEASURE PRINCIPLE Decoration focuses on textural contrasts with an absence of pattern or strong colour in favour of neutral shades of charcoal, grey and biscuit, plus areas of exposed brickwork. The Mohi pendant light in brushed suede came from Hoffz MATERIAL GAINS At the back of the house, an outdoor kitchen and dining terrace is sheltered by a pergola, which has a canvas awning that can be drawn across to create shelter or shade (opposite). The stackable outdoor Air XL chairs are an Italian design in…

A background in construction and engineering meant that Joe Croxford had always been surrounded by raw elements such as brick, steel and scaffold boards. So when he needed new furniture for a house of his own in 2015, he decided to make it himself – simple, square-cut designs using scaffold and batten boards on steel frames. Friends commissioned him for more pieces, and he realised he was enjoying the hands-on making too much to carry on in the corporate world: “I knew it would be tough getting going on my own, but I was driven by how happy I felt being able to design my own things and run my own business.” The challenge was to make the leap from part-time woodworker to fully invested furniture maker. By the end of…

TIME & TRADITION The original kitchen hearth has been returned to working order and is capable of warming the open-plan living space on cold nights. A set of recessed storage shelves with a cupboard fronted in wire mesh was restored during the renovation (opposite) PAST & PRESENT At one end of the open-plan living room, a sofa in rattan and wood, found on Prince Albert’s Declutter WhatsApp group, is teamed with a patterned vintage rug. The throw is by Frances’s own company Frances V.H, while the artwork on the wall above was bought on a trip to Vietnam. Just beyond the farm, the towering rock strata of the Swartberg Pass is a favourite place for Sunday walks (opposite) INHERITED PIECES The old farmstead, one of the last remaining smallholdings on the edge of Prince Albert,…