Name: Designer Pearl Lowe Address: Frome, Somerset Home: Rambling eleven-bedroom Georgian house,
built in the 1820s Lives: with musician Danny Goffey,
sons Alfie and Frank and daughters Betty and Daisy
The vibe: Rococo elegance
I decided to uproot from London to the country 15 years ago. Our quest to find the perfect house has been epic, and in the intervening years we moved six times. I first went to see this house in 2010. Unfortunately at the time, it was beyond our budget, so we watched it on Rightmove and waited until the price dropped. That was exactly three years ago. Luckily, we didn’t have any structural work to do when we moved in but we are completely redecorating from top to bottom – it is an ongoing project. The house’s architectural quirks spoke to my sense of style. The ceilings are high enough for grand armoires and my collection of vintage chandeliers and four-poster beds. It also has the most wonderful orange sunlight beaming through the windows at sunset. I am inspired by comfort and rococo pieces: chintz, velvet, piano shawls, animal prints and vintage lace. I source my furniture locally, and am very lucky there are so many brilliant flea markets, auction rooms and antique shops nearby. Where I’ve spent, I’ve also saved; fitted carpets are a false economy for me – I prefer rugs. I splurged on wallpaper from William Morris, Little Green, Robert Kime and Nicholas Herbert to give a country house feel. My husband and I work from home; Danny has a recording studio [Goffey is a drummer with Supergrass] and I have my studio where I design my collections and work on interiors projects. I love the spaciousness of the house, it means that we can have lots of our friends and family to stay. At the moment
I am looking for a gorgeous superking four-poster bed and an antique conversation sofa – both are proving to be quite hard to find. www.pearllowe.co.uk
Photographs by Amy Neunsinger © CICO Books
The oval dining room table was made to fit the curve of the bay windows. The window frames are painted in Farrow & Ball Pitch Black. The black floral wallpaper is by House of Hackney.
Danny is the cook and insisted on a functional kitchen by DeVOL with Shaker cupboards and a marble worktop. On the floor, old elm boards are covered with assorted rugs.
In the main salon the red velvet sofa is by Rachel Ashwell, the ottoman by House of Hackney, and the wallpaper is by Robert Kime. The woodburner is from Charnwood. The fringed lamp is from a Parisian flea market, the rugs sourced on a trip to Morocco.
Betty’s room features white floorboards and curtains made from dress fabric sourced in Pongees.
The spare bedroom has Robert Kime wallpaper and a bed from La Belle Étoffe.
Daisy’s art deco bathroom with Farrow & Balls’ Lotus Flower wallpaper. RIGHT: Daisy’s bedroom makes the cover of Faded Glamour and features a vintage butterfly mirror from French General Trading in Frome.
The master bedroom is decorated in pinks and greens. The scalloped headboard is from Soho Home. The wallpaper is by Nicholas Herbert.
