A Jacobean farmhouse wrapped in Georgian charm – inside a Cotswolds home made magical for Christmas

With a paper star hung in each window, this Cotswolds home signals the arrival of Christmas across the village green. The house’s impressive Georgian silhouette instantly draws the eye, but as soon as you venture beyond the threshold, you are greeted by a much older property.

‘At its core, it’s a Jacobean farmhouse,’ explains owner Hollie Mooreland. ‘But there’s been a lot of work over the centuries, with outbuildings – like the stables – being incorporated into the building and extensions added, including the Georgian frontage.’

It was this intimate farmhouse feel that Hollie was desperate to return to the property. ‘It’d had the traditional country-home style knocked out of it, leaving the house feeling very cold and soulless. It had stark lighting, minimal furniture and was painted in jarring colours that just didn’t sit right with the farmhouse’s traditional roots,' she says.

Zoning in on lighting

Before reaching for the paints and papers, however, Hollie started the renovations of each room in the same way. ‘I would take a step back and overview the room’s electrics – while not the most fun part, it’s so important and difficult to address once you’ve started decorating,’ explains Hollie, who is creative director and lighting designer at David Hunt Lighting.

‘In the living room, for example, I knew I wanted wall lights to replace the incongruous track lighting. This change gave the room so much more soul, but it needed new electrics and the walls to be replastered before I could apply the two-tone wash on the walls. It wouldn’t have been an option to do this if I’d waited until later in the process.’

Interior decoration

When it came to interior design, Hollie took an intuitive approach to each room, letting herself be guided by the feel that she wanted to create in each space. ‘The rooms weren’t overwhelming and I felt I could bring back the traditional country look that I love and the house was crying out for,' she says.

Throughout the year, Hollie’s decor takes cues from the seasons, bringing in plenty of foraged foliage in advance of the festive season. ‘I love to work with nature, whether through my choice of prints and patterns, or Christmas décor.’

Garlands of fir and vases of ivy, eucalyptus and holly add natural touches to each room, bringing festive charm that sits harmoniously with the house’s organic beauty and existing colour palette.

Hallway

Originally part of the stables, this space was incorporated into the house during a previous renovation and now serves as a versatile hallway-cum-bootroom.

Hollie painted it in Little Greene’s Sir Lutyens Sage to create a sense of harmony between outside and in.

Cloakroom bathroom

‘There’s no natural light in the downstairs toilet, but I wanted to lean as opposed to brightening it. That’s why it’s a darker green than the hallway,’ says Hollie.

Living room

David Hunt Lighting’s Dickens wall lights with shades in Thibaut’s Mendoza Suzani fabric transformed the living room, helping to create the joyful family space of Hollie’s dreams.

‘The living room is my favourite room in the house. It’s such a nice open space, but it’s also cosy – especially when the fire is roaring in the inglenook,’ says Hollie. ‘The orange velvet chairs add such a nice pop, and they honestly make me feel so happy.’

Kitchen

The kitchen cabinetry is nearly 35 years old, but Hollie gave it a new lease of life by repainting the pale blue and yellow cupboards in the more understated Rodeo from Benjamin Moore and stripping the dark lacquered worktop back to the natural oak.

Stairs

Foraged foliage provides the backbone of Hollie’s Christmas decorating scheme, bringing nature inside and celebrating life at the coldest time of the year.

Bedroom

‘I used all Colefax & Fowler wallpapers because I’d always dreamed of having a house full of their designs. I just love that traditional country look, and it’s exactly the feeling that I wanted to return to the farmhouse.’

Twin bedroom

Hollie gave the twin spaces an oriental theme, but still grounded the space in a country aesthetic with Colefax and Fowler’s Rushmere wallpaper.

Paper stars add a touch of Christmas to the framed chinoiserie panels.

Bedroom

For this room, Hollie took the blue and white of the playroom (and Hollie’s beloved china) as the base and added touches of red, gingham and stripes to make it feel more fun and befitting for a little boy.

Earthborn’s Seagull provides a peaceful backdrop.

Bathroom

The country charm is brought back into this guest bathroom with panelled walls and Sanderson's Truffle curtains in Indigo.

Exterior

A perfectly symmetrical Cotswold stone Georgian facade is enhanced with a sage-painted door and window frames. A wreath and paper stars in the windows spread Christmas cheer.