Kent
Georgian Country House
This Grade II listed property has historic connections to Lord Nelson and the gentry of the eighteen century, but had fallen into a state of disrepair by the time our clients purchased it. They had the vision to restore the property to its former glory and create a smallholding on the twenty acres of surrounding land.
Working on a phase by phase basis, the intention was to help our clients to manage the enormous task of renovating a property on this scale.
The design and colour palette flow throughout reaching from the patterned hall tiles up to the top of house. The border on the runner draws attention to the feature of the Georgian stairs that ascends over three storeys.
Credits
Designers Laura Nicolson & Ann Jackman / Photography KT1 Photography
"I can’t compliment you both enough for the service, professionalism and friendliness you’ve given over last few months. You have made a challenging time very straightforward for my family and I, and I’m really grateful to you both for making things so less stressful. We are delighted with the end product and are much happier and comfortable in our ‘new’ home. Thank you!”
Family Living Room
Kitchen & Back Hall
More About Restoring a Grade II Listed Country Home in Kent
Set within twenty acres of beautiful Kent countryside, this Grade II listed property has a remarkable heritage - with historic connections to Lord Nelson and prominent eighteenth-century gentry. By the time our clients purchased it, the house had fallen into disrepair, but they had the vision to restore it to its former grandeur and create a warm, functional family home.
Working on listed buildings requires specialist knowledge, sensitivity and careful management. From preserving original details to co-ordinating permissions, we bring a skilled, considered approach to every heritage project. This Kent renovation is a perfect example of how we balance architectural authenticity with modern comfort.
Our Role in the Renovation
Initially, we were invited to help create a comfortable living area while the clients undertook major restoration works elsewhere in the house. Our role quickly expanded to include the full redesign of the dramatic entrance hall, connecting hallways and circulation spaces.
We created detailed interior schemes, architectural specifications and bespoke joinery designs, and we met regularly with trades to ensure the design intent was implemented exactly. Given the scale of the project and the building’s listed status, our work provided clarity, structure and continuity for the family during an extremely complex renovation.
Understanding Grade II Listed Building Considerations
Listed buildings require a careful, conservation-led approach. Working closely with our clients we guide them through key considerations such as:
Preserving original architectural features: Georgian timber floorboards, coving, staircases, panelling and joinery must be retained or restored sympathetically, for example.
Using period-appropriate materials: Lime plaster, traditional joinery profiles, heritage paints and conservation-approved finishes are essential.
Navigating Listed Building Consent: Any change affecting the building’s character - structural alterations, new openings, changes to layout, replacement windows, fireplaces or materials, requires specialist approval.
Respecting the historic footprint: This property includes a Georgian horseshoe extension built around the original farmhouse and evidence of a Victorian orangery, which informed plans for a light-filled future kitchen extension.
Ensuring longevity and reversibility: Interventions must support the future health of the building.
Our process aligns with guidance from Historic England and local heritage officers, ensuring accuracy and sensitivity at every stage.
Reimagining the Heart of the Home
The entrance hall, soaring over four metres high, was previously stark and unwelcoming. Our task was to retain its grandeur while creating warmth, elegance and purpose. We introduced historically sympathetic coving, installed panelling that feels original to the property, and layered a soft, nature-inspired palette with painterly wallpaper and textured flooring. Oversized pendants suspend dramatically from the high ceilings, enhancing the Georgian symmetry and creating a sense of arrival.
This redesigned circulation area is now both impressive and calming, guiding visitors through the entire home.
Design Style & Heritage Inspiration
The clients’ ambition was to restore the property with architecturally accurate detailing while embracing sympathetic contemporary design suitable for modern living. We used a muted, calming palette inspired by the landscape outside, paired with authentic detailing: brass switches, classic panelling profiles, historically informed colours and meticulously proportioned joinery.
In the family room, original Georgian floorboards were carefully restored and stained back to their former beauty. Deep green cabinetry and exquisite Juliet Travers wallpaper bring character and playfulness while respecting the heritage of the home.
Materials, Joinery & Period-Appropriate Detailing
Working within a listed home means every detail matters. We designed bespoke joinery throughout, including bay-window seats allocated to each child for toy storage, ensuring new additions feel as though they have always been part of the house.
All architectural details, from door hardware to picture rails, were chosen in keeping with the Georgian period. This rigorous attention to proportion and craftsmanship creates a sense of continuity, beauty and historical integrity.
Lighting, Colour & Flow Across Three Storeys
Considered lighting was essential to soften the home’s scale. Oversized pendants draw the eye upward, while warm wall lighting and recession-level uplighters add depth and atmosphere.
The colour palette connects the patterned hallway tiles to the upper floors, guiding the eye up the three-storey Georgian staircase. Every view was considered, ensuring a gentle rhythm throughout the house that feels both cohesive and calming.
Challenges & Listed-Building Solutions
Heritage projects present unique challenges. These include: working around irregular structures and original plaster, restoring historical detailing while improving comfort, coordinating specialist trades familiar with conservation methods and ensuring interventions can be justified through Listed Building Consent.
By collaborating closely with conservation-experienced craftspeople, we ensured the home retained its architectural significance while becoming significantly more liveable.
Why Listed Homes Benefit from Specialist Heritage Interior Design
Grade II listed homes offer extraordinary character but demand expert handling. A sensitive design approach ensures: architectural preservation, appropriate material selection, comfort-led modernisation within heritage guidelines, improved flow and function, respect for cultural significance, longevity and future-proofing.
Our experience with heritage homes makes us trusted partners for families undertaking Grade II restorations.
The Current Phase: Remote Design Support From New Zealand
Following the successful transformation of the main spaces, our client’s restoration journey continues. As they are now living in New Zealand, the property has become their UK base, and we continue to support them remotely, providing interior design schemes, furniture and furnishing selection and sources, co-ordinating trusted trades for implementation and supplying a full turn-key service so that they can effortlessly return to their updated home, ready to relax in and enjoy.
Work With Specialists in Grade II Listed Interior Design
Whether you’re restoring a Georgian farmhouse, updating a listed country estate or managing a heritage renovation remotely from abroad, we specialise in Grade II listed interior design that blends authenticity with modern comfort.
From architectural detailing to full-home schemes, bespoke joinery, material selection and project coordination, we guide clients through both the beauty and complexity of historic renovation - wherever in the world they may be.