Ben Thompson brings the English nation residence into the 21st century at Heckfield Place

British designer Ben Thompson has mixed the grandeur of a Georgian manor with the informality of a contemporary farmhouse for the interiors of a brand new lodge in Hampshire, England.

Heckfield Place is an 18th-century nation home, renovated to create 44 visitor suites, two eating places, spa services and an underground cinema. It sits on the coronary heart of a 430-acre property, with a farm that produces pure produce for company and contemporary flowers.

Heckfield Place is an 18th-century nation home

A ardour venture for the Chan household – builders whose portfolio additionally consists of the Commonplace Chartered Financial institution Constructing and the Peak Galleria in Hong Kong – the lodge has been over a decade within the making.

Ben Thompson was introduced in to revamp the interiors, after a earlier scheme was deemed unsatisfactory and torn out. His transient was to create areas that revered the historical past of the constructing, however that additionally made company really feel at residence.

Ben Thompson’s interiors mix antiques and up to date furnishings

The result’s proving profitable up to now – the lodge counts Prince Harry and Meghan Markle amongst its current company.

“The overriding message we heard was to sympathetically restore the Georgian constructing and its unique character, which had been misplaced over time,” defined Thompson.

There are 44 visitor suites, together with six signature rooms

“In its heyday, Heckfield was, like many a rustic residence, the peak of English hospitality; a retreat the place company have been invited to chill out and really feel at one with their environment,” he instructed Dezeen.

“The problem was to reinstate that informality inside such a grand property, and adapt that internet hosting spirit to swimsuit trendy life.”

Rooms are designed to swimsuit their place within the constructing, mixing previous and new, rustic and minimal

Thompson’s technique was to maintain some areas within the constructing extra conventional, with a number of key up to date items providing distinction. Others are extra eclectic, showcasing a mixture of previous and new, rustic and minimal.

“It was enjoyable to play with a layer on high of the restored, historic material of the constructing,” he defined.

The Lengthy Room is a loft suite that includes a sloping roof

“For instance, the bedrooms on the higher flooring, which have been previously the servants’ quarters, have a barely extra paired-back aesthetic to their structure, and are furnished with considerably extra humble, naive antiques.”

“In the meantime, we used trendy items to mark interventions inside the constructing, quite than feigning conventional relevance.”

Six English resorts with hanging interiors

Six of the 44 visitor rooms are known as signature rooms, every with a singular design and color palette that’s developed in response to its place inside the home and the view it faces out onto.

This suite options a big balcony providing views out over the lake

The grandest suite is the Lengthy Room, a loft suite that includes an uncovered sloping roof with chunky oak trusses. This area culminates in a big balcony providing views out over the lake within the grounds.

“We wished to spotlight its pure autumnal high quality, due to its view onto the timber and the ferns within the undergrowth,” defined Thompson.

The Ochre Room has a wealthy yellow color scheme

The Ochre Room contrasts conventional furnishings with a wealthy yellow color scheme and a darkish brown marble lavatory, whereas the Panelled Room options mild colors and wood-panelled partitions.

Some particulars from these characterful rooms additionally crop up in the usual suites, as an illustration, the bespoke cupboards that home drinks and snacks for company, and the fashionable home stationery put in on the desks.

The Marle restaurant and breakfast room has a backyard aesthetic

Marle is the principle restaurant and breakfast room. With a menu primarily based on the seasonal produce from the farm, the area has a backyard aesthetic, with crops hanging from above and surfaces of pale marble.

The Fireplace restaurant occupies an previous barn. Picture is by Peter Cook dinner

The second restaurant, Fireplace, occupies an previous barn. There may be additionally a small cosy bar in the principle home, with a hearth, a disco ball and a press release bar constructed from polished brass.

“The motion of the solar was vital in main one’s day by the constructing,” mentioned Thompson. “Whereas the morning room has extra reflective, lighter supplies, the west-facing sun-setting rooms are barely darker with extra luxurious supplies which come into their finest at nightfall.”

Moon Bar encompasses a brass bar and a disco ball

A stone staircase leads down into the basement cinema, the place leather-based seats provide company a lounge expertise.

Past the home, the in depth grounds embrace woodland paths and extra formal gardens.

To the north, the farm’s services are rising in scale day-after-day, because the workforce experiment with totally different crops and biodynamic agricultural strategies. Greenhouses are full of flowers, that are used to brighten the home, and livestock roams freely round generously sized enclosures.

Within the basement cinema, leather-based seats provide a lounge expertise

There may be additionally an accompanying occasions programme, which has seen designers together with Sebastian Cox and Kitten Grayson internet hosting workshops. Upcoming occasions embrace a screening of 5 Seasons: The Gardens of Piet Oudolf.

Spa services are additionally included

“The connection to nature runs all through the venture,” added Thompson. “It’s totally a lot a joined up dialog with what Jane from Fern Verrow has been doing down on the farm to what dulinary director Skye Gyngell is placing on the plate.”

“The significance of bringing the skin inside is a central tenet to the Heckfield story.”

Venture credit:

Consumer: Morningside Group
Architect: Spratley & Companions
Inside design: BWT London
Lighting design: Lighting Design Worldwide
Contractor: Operis Building, Goodman Hichens
Structural engineer: Clegg Associates
M&E: Apex Core
Civil engineering: Cole Easdon
Planning guide: GL Hearn
Constructing management: Bureau Veritas