The challenge of reimagining a Grade I listed Palladian manor as contemporary hospitality lies not in imposing newness but in calibrating restraint. When it comes to Denton Reserve, John Carr’s 1778 North Yorkshire structure had accumulated decades of ornamental layering – the kind of decorative accretion that obscures rather than honors Georgian architectural logic. BOX 9’s intervention operates through subtraction and strategic insertion, working within heritage constraints that prohibited fixed partitions or built-in elements. The result positions bathrooms and furniture as sculptural objects that inhabit rather than alter the original spatial sequences, preserving sightlines while introducing functional program.

A large wooden dining table with benches is centered in a room with a stone fireplace, high ceiling, shelving, and a tall stained glass window.

This approach grounds itself in a material palette derived explicitly from Yorkshire Dales geography – soil, stone, heather, moorland moss translated into pigment, and texture. The heather chandelier by Studio Amos exemplifies this localized sourcing, moor-harvested material woven into structural lighting that registers both as craft object and environmental model. Similarly, the reception table pairs British oak with sculptural cork spheres, a collaboration with Ted Jefferis that features cork as the project’s material protagonist. Cork appears throughout – cladding, furniture elements, structural components – chosen for thermal performance and acoustic dampening.

A modern, minimalist kitchen with dark cabinetry, an island with seven stools, vases, shelving, built-in appliances, and soft lighting in a high-ceilinged room.

Leleni Studio’s living room table assembles entirely from marble industry waste offcuts, demonstrating how remnant materials can anchor spatial compositions when treated as primary rather than compromised choices. Jan Hendzel Studio’s games room intervention goes further by cutting down an original marquetry boardroom table to circular form, adding hand-turned legs and inlaying playing cards as marquetry detail.

An ornate, cream-colored interior archway with decorative molding and columns, illuminated by wall sconces and a small round skylight above.

A softly lit bedroom with a large mirror, armchair, round ottoman, two round coffee tables, and sheer curtains over a window.

A dimly lit living room with ornate ceiling, dark wood furniture, olive green armchairs, a low coffee table, shelves with pottery, and a large decorative chandelier.

Throughout the guest rooms, solid wool furniture by Jason Posnot’s Or This Studio positions work surfaces toward moorland views and grazing sheep, framing stillness as programmed experience rather than incidental amenity. Even paint receives material innovation, textured with crushed olive stones to create surface variation that responds to changing light conditions across the day.

A minimalist living room with beige walls, three abstract framed artworks, a wooden door, a curved sofa, and a modern pendant light.

A modern living room with a sectional sofa, round nested coffee tables, a green quilted throw, and a minimalist wall-mounted lamp in soft, warm lighting.

Lou Davies goes onto say: “We set ourselves an incredibly high bar. Every single piece and material had to leave a legacy of positive change – whether through sustainability, supporting a maker, empowering an emerging studio, or championing innovation. If it didn’t have the potential to restore landscapes, lives or our relationship with craft, it didn’t come through the doors. What we used was respected, applied with minimal waste, and always designed to inspire care and reconnection with craft and nature.”

A softly lit bedroom with a large mirror, armchair, round ottoman, two round coffee tables, and sheer curtains over a window.

A modern white bathtub with a gold faucet stands by large windows with beige curtains in a sunlit, elegant bathroom.

A softly lit room with wooden floors, tall windows with beige curtains, an open door, and a glimpse of a towel and basin in the adjoining space.

A minimalist shower with a brass fixture and beige round basin stands in an empty room with neutral walls, herringbone tile floor, and a towel draped over the shower pipe.

A small green couch sits in the corner of a dimly lit room with tall curtains, a floor lamp, a round black ottoman, and a small side table on a light wooden floor.

A sunlit room with sheer curtains, an olive green armchair with a fur throw, a round textured ottoman, and a round white coffee table with a vase.

A minimalist bathroom with a freestanding white tub, gold fixtures, a large arched mirror, and beige walls under soft lighting.

A large, round, dark basin sits on a floor made of rectangular brown tiles, with light falling unevenly across the scene.

A brass shower with water running stands in front of a marble fireplace in a dimly lit room with panelled walls.

A cozy armchair with a blanket, a round ottoman, and a small side table sit by a large window with sheer curtains, letting in natural light in a minimalist room.

A cozy corner with an olive green armchair, a fur throw, a round pouf, a marble coffee table with a vase, and soft natural light from a large window with sheer curtains.

For more information on Denton Reserve and BOX 9, visit box-9.co.uk.

Photography by Lucy Franks and Sean Knott.

Leo Lei translates his passion for minimalism into his daily-updated blog Leibal. In addition, you can find uniquely designed minimalist objects and furniture at the Leibal Store.