There’s a particular magic to the English countryside in the summer—patchwork fields roll toward the sunlit horizon, hedgerows burst with wildflowers, and winding lanes meander past quiet stone cottages. Life here moves at a gentler pace, marked by morning market visits and lingering garden lunches under expansive blue skies. It was this easy, idyllic rhythm that inspired a family of five to purchase a three-story, five bedroom Georgian house in Devon as a summer retreat from their busy lives in London.
They envisioned a home that felt joyful, playful, and rich with color. Naturally, British designer Nicola Harding, who worked on their London residence in 2020, came to mind. “They are the most lovely family, full of personality,” says Harding. “The brief for this holiday home was totally irresistible: the wife wanted the feeling of love and joy to radiate through it.”
But before the fun began, some structural rethinking was required. “The original part of the house was a rabbit warren of intimate little spaces, while a newer addition had a vast open-plan layout,” Harding says. “We needed to get them to sit comfortably next to each other and feel cohesive.”