The charming cottage at the edge of Laura Berkeley-Hawkes’ Cotswolds barn began life as a utilitarian 1990s outbuilding with little architectural merit. As her daughter Gracy, the other half of design studio Berkeley Hawkes, puts it, ‘It had no inherent character or history to lean on, especially when compared to the 18th-century house.’ Even so, it came with a few advantages, since it served as a place for Laura to stay during the renovation of the barn and also became a testing ground for their fledgling interior design practice. ‘Having two separate projects to showcase our work was a gift,’ recalls Gracy.
As the plan had always been to give the barn a more romantic and feminine feel, the cottage became an opportunity to explore a different and what the pair describes as a more masculine and elemental tone. The palette follows this intention, with earthy browns, greens and warm neutrals, while natural materials such as wood, marble, linen, wool and jute reinforce the mood: ‘Everything feels very raw here – nothing is shiny or perfect,’ says Gracy. Sourced from old agricultural buildings in continental Europe, the reclaimed oak floorboards became key to the scheme. ‘They reference the farming history of the area and also appear in the main house, keeping both buildings connected.’
Set within the garden of Laura’s main house, the cottage sits in close contact with the surrounding landscape, which became the designers’ starting point.
Mark Anthony Fox
The cottage’s diminutive proportions called for optimising every inch without sacrificing comfort – a challenge that Laura and Gracy embraced. ‘We sketched endless configurations before arriving at one that felt right,’ recalls Laura. ‘We made use of every centimetre of space available and even created a compact utility room under the stairs.’ On the ground floor, a timber kitchen runs along one side. To continue the woodland thread, they had cabinet fronts made from the darkest of the reclaimed oak boards that they had sourced from the flooring specialist Lubelska. ‘We selected them one by one and then opted for minimalist handles that let the vertical grain read like a row of tree trunks,’ Gracy explains.