SUMPTUOUS CELEBRATIONS Designer Joanna Wood’s inviting Gloucestershire manor house

Christmas is a lavish affair at interior designer Joanna Wood’s country home in the Cotswolds. The family descends on Fyfield Manor for festive frivolity and indulgence. Roaring fires, glowing candlelight, a glistening Christmas tree and mantelpieces festooned with foliage set the scene. It is a magical time when Joanna, her husband Charles, plus daughters Hattie and Leonora can celebrate together. “On Christmas Day we watch the Queen’s Speech and have smoked salmon with champagne cocktails – which are delicious and lethal! Then, just as dusk falls, Christmas lunch starts, continuing long into the evening,” she says.

During the festive period Joanna invites friends over for informal lunches and gatherings and the house really comes in to its own. “Circulation of the rooms works very well. There are lots of areas where people can sit and chat,” she says. Guests often comment on Fyfield Manor’s welcoming atmosphere, which is what first attracted Joanna to the property back in 2014. “My daughter Hattie and I walked in and didn’t get further than the drawing room. We fell in love immediately,” she explains. “We both said ‘we’ve got

ABOVE The Lawson Wood sofa in the drawing room came from Joanna’s previous house and has been recovered in a pretty Jean Monro Hemingford chintz with jumbosized bullion fringing dyed to match. A pair of bespoke mirrors, with antique glass in modern gilded frames, hang either side of the original hand-carved pine fireplace. RIGHT Joanna stands under the shell porch with her beloved Meath Terrier, Gypsy. A pair of Albemarle lanterns by Phillips & Wood flank the door which leads into the drawing room.

The Aubusson rug from Dominic Everest was the inspiration for the subtle colour scheme in the drawing room, whilst the inherited early eighteen-century portrait provides an elegant focal point. The comfortable, square-backed Gainsborough chair has been recovered in Fortuny’s Sevigne fabric from Claremont, and the black coffee table was made to incorporate a papier-mâché tray which Joanna inherited from her grandmother.

‘You could be here all on your own on a cold, dark, windy night and feel the house is looking after you’

ABOVE The lateeighteenth-century dining chairs, from Eton Antiques, feature William Yeoward striped fabric on the seat pads to echo the delicate tones in the rug from C John. A seascape inherited from Joanna’s grandfather hangs above the fireplace from Jamb. ABOVE The impressive facade was built in 1720 and was originally the front of the house.

to live here because it has such a warm feel’. You could be here all on your own on a cold, dark, windy night and feel the house is looking after you. It has a very kind spirit. It’s not grand, but it’s very cosy.”

The elegant Grade II listed property, with its decorative facade made from local Ashlar limestone, was once quite an ordinary farmhouse. “We think there has been a farm at Fyfield Manor since Roman times, because we uncovered a Roman well and medieval bridge at the bottom of the field,” Joanna explains. “In the early 1700s, a farmer living in the farmhouse obviously did terribly well and made a great deal of money. In 1720 he employed an architect called Joseph Small to add the very pretty Queen Anne facade, with the shell porch and ball finials to create a grand impression.” The farmer also added a large entrance hall with a parlour on either side and a piano nobile on the first floor where he would entertain guests and survey his land. The hall is now a spacious drawing room, whilst the piano nobile is now home to Joanna’s bedroom. When Joanna first came to view the house, it was very dated but that did not deter her. “It hadn’t been touched since the 1950s,” she says. “But that wasn’t important because I knew I was going to gut it and reorganise the spaces, as we live in a different world now.” The original tiny kitchen has been turned into a utility room and Joanna has created a double-height kitchen and dining area in the former dairy. “The original kitchen wasn’t nearly big enough for family living and, if I’m cooking, I like to chat to people. The kitchen is the hub of the house.”

Getting planning permission took a year, and the renovation project took another year to restore the house back to its former glory. “When we scratched the surface the house was riddled with damp and dry rot and just held together with a few coats of paint. My husband couldn’t bear to look because it was literally a construction site. He didn’t visit the house for a year.”

Having had her own interior architecture and design practice for 30 years meant that Joanna knew only too well what an enormous project she had taken on, but

To accentuate the ceiling height Joanna has created a display of antique dessert plates. The subdued green tones in the Monte Cristo granite worktop from Mander & Germain blends with the island, which is painted in Brompton Road by Mylands. The striking Vertigo pendant light, designed by Constance Guisset for Petite Friture, adds a contemporary touch to the Kutchenhaus kitchen. The Buscot limestone flooring is by Artisans of Devizes.

ABOVE A graceful headboard by Lawson Wood and curtains in Lewis & Wood’s Indienne bring an understated glamour to Joanna’s bedroom. The walls are covered in silk by Loro Piana and the George III bench from Eton Antiques is upholstered in Murillo, a classic Fortuny fabric by Claremont. RIGHT An oil painting bought in Russia many years ago hangs over an antique mahogany chest bought from Blanchard Collective.

she surrounded herself with experts in their field, including Johnston Cave architects. “I knew who to ask for things like the oak floors, the restoration of the cornices and woodwork,” she says. “I tried to use local craftsmen as far as possible, and specialist decorators came down from London. As this house is Grade II listed, the historical detailing is terribly important.”

Although Joanna managed to save some sections of original elm flooring upstairs, she mostly replaced old fitted carpet with random-plank English oak. “I wanted the floor to look like it would have done originally,” she says. “Random planks are more authentic because cuts from the whole tree are used. If you slice a tree through the middle and then cut to the outside, you’re getting smaller and smaller planks with the wider ones in the middle.”

Wherever possible, when it came to furnishing the house, Joanna used favourite pieces that have been with her for a long time. “I’m a great believer in buying good-quality furniture, using it and reusing it in different ways, and seeing if certain pieces can be recovered, adjusted or altered. I like doing that for

The smart nickel vanity unit in the en-suite bathroom was designed by Joanna, and has wide drawers but does not take up too much floor space. The bevelled mirror, from Joanna Wood’s shop, is paired with slim wall lights by Phillips & Wood. The Indienne wallpaper is by Lewis & Wood and the Calacatta Vagli marble floor is by Mander & Germain.

‘Comfort is a very important part of my decorating ethic, but I still like people to walk in and say: “Gosh, this is lovely!”’

clients too, rather than this terrible consumer society that we have been living in, but I’m glad to see that people are now beginning to rethink.”

When choosing a colour palette for the drawing room Joanna was inspired by the delicate pink tones in her exquisite Aubusson rug and found the perfect, complementary Jean Monro floral fabric to cover one of the sofas. “When I’m designing a house, I like to think about colour moving from light to dark, to create drama and contrast,” she says. “I also like going from texture to texture. I have chosen a tactile suede on the walls in the dining room, which is also good acoustically. I think if you stick to all paint or all paper, you lose the drama.”

Colour plays a big part in Joanna’s schemes, in a subtle way. “I don’t want to be bullied by colour – I prefer to manage it,” she explains. “My bedroom is soft and muted, but there are lots of different shades there, if you look at all the various layers. I am certainly not afraid of using colour and love an accent flash.”

Another key factor for Joanna is comfort. “Comfort is a very important part of my decorating ethic, but I still like people to walk in and say: ‘Gosh this is lovely!’ It’s more about building and putting things together, rather than having hero pieces. The main thing is that spaces flow from one into another and everything fits together like a jigsaw puzzle.”

The renovation of Fyfield Manor has been quite a journey for Joanna and husband Charles. “The house has been pulled apart, reconfigured and carefully put back together, so it looks and feels as though nothing has been done,” she says. “It feels utterly authentic. It’s incredibly important that nothing looks brand new, or jars. Now the house is finished, the thing I’m most pleased about is the atmosphere. Everyone feels very happy here.”

ABOVE Daughter Hattie’s bedroom and en suite were once three poky rooms. The ceiling now goes up into the eaves, creating a sense of height. Joanna found the bench in a junk shop when visiting a friend and had it restored and reupholstered in a Colefax and Fowler fabric. The antique brass bed is from Divine Dreams. The Christmas stockings are Joanna Wood.

JOANNA WOOD FESTIVE FLAIR Artfully arranged garlands and a beautifully layered tree create a warm welcome at Fyfield Manor

When decorating the tree, how do you combine colour, texture and lights?

I always use warm white lights, which create a soft golden glow. This Christmas I’ve used a traditional palette of silver, light gold and rich red with some copper tones to create depth. To draw the eye up, I’ve tied lots of faux red flowers and ribbon underneath the gold tree topper. I always attach decorations to the tops of branches, as well as hanging them, for a fuller look. All sorts of things can go on the top of branches. There’s nothing like a few home-made, natural decorations to add texture. I often use fir cones, nuts, dried flowers and sprayed greenery mixed with contrasting, colourful, glass baubles in various sizes and shapes. The trick is to use florists’ wire to fix everything on.

Do you bring out treasured vintage tree decorations every year?

My family love the seeing vintage tree decorations that we’ve had since my girls were little. I’ve got some wacky Father Christmases that we bought for Hattie and Leonora when they were children, which bring back happy memories and make us all nostalgic.

How do you make the tree personal?

I have suitcases and boxes full of carefully wrapped Christmas decorations, and every year I collect a few more good quality decorations. Having this collection means I can change the look a little bit each Christmas. I might decide that I’m going to go for a traditional Victorian theme, or there was one stage when I went through a more modern clear-glass-andsilver period. Building up a collection over time is the key to creating a special look. I enjoy combining all my vintage and newer decorations together on the tree. Sticking to a simple colour palette is key, because colour ties it all together.

Do you like the idea of giving tree decorations as gifts?

I’ve been given beautiful tree decorations over the years. I have a few from Lalique, and some Kenyan pieces, given to me by a friend who knows I like collecting. When I visit friends before Christmas, instead of taking a box of chocolates, I’ll take a little bauble with me as a pressie. Some baubles are works of art, and they can be a real talking point.

What is your favourite gift-wrap style?

I’ve become more eco-conscious over the years, so I like to incorporate natural materials, and I try to avoid wrapping paper with lots of sparkle. I mix and match; I might combine hessian ribbon with a fun printed paper, or simple brown wrapping paper with wonderful, elaborate ribbon, as a complete contrast.

How do you decorate the mantelpiece at Christmas?

Decorating the tops of mantelpieces or shelves can be incredibly effective, especially when you add candles to create a glow. On my dining room mantelpiece, I use ivy picked from my garden to create a loose display, with a mass of scented tea lights, so the room smells delicious. In the drawing room, I’ve gone for a rich goldand-green theme, mixing faux and natural elements, including gold leaves, fresh mistletoe, branches of fir with white cyclamen plants in red glass vessels.

Do you have any tips for making garlands?

You can make a garland quite easily with just a piece of string or ribbon and tie the greenery on to it. The other trick is to buy a very simple faux-fir garland as a base and then mix fresh greenery in, which is what I’ve done in my red study. Artificial fir garlands are available at every florist and very reasonable. I start by sticking the artificial garland to the mantelpiece and tying in the fresh ivy, faux maple leaves, fir cones, gold baubles and little flocked animals using florists’ wire. Everyone thinks it’s 100 per cent fresh. It’s a great trick and hugely time-saving. n

The circular table in the entrance hall is laid for tea by candlelight in front of the fire, where a dramatic canopy of foliage graces the original carved stone fireplace. The paisley wool throw on the table is from Oka. The painting, which Christopher inherited from his grandmother, depicts an eighteenth-century gentleman.

AND THE IVY

Interior designer Christopher Vane Percy creates an elaborate backdrop combining foliage with baubles and candlelight for magical Christmas celebrations

FEATURE AMANDA HARLING PHOTOGRAPHY ANDREAS VON EINSIEDEL