With a blackened exterior, overgrown garden and an ugly extension, it took some work to turn Kin House – though a perfectly proportioned Georgian manor – into Wiltshire’s sassiest country house venue. Dating from 1670, the building, once known as Grandhouse, was previously a silk-weaving factory, a refuge for injured soldiers and a care home, before being left to go derelict.
“We got it at auction as no-one else wanted to buy it,” says Gaby Harvey, who owns the property with her husband Matt. “It was riddled with asbestos, so in came the people with hazmat suits. Joinery had been shoddily repaired, with MDF hammered over the top. So we painstakingly sanded back the wood panelling. We also sandblasted the front and rediscovered the lovely yellow stone beneath.”
Since its transformation, and opening in July, Kin House has been turning heads. Unusually, it offers the best elements of a hotel – with in-room minibars and personalised service – in a private house designed for bespoke celebrations.
The couple hired an interior design studio in London to help realise the project. “Barlow & Barlow have a playfulness in their ethos,” says Gaby. It’s plain to see in the glorious shell grotto, which livens up the hallway.
Handmade over a fortnight by Mel Campion, an artist from Oxford, rose-coloured shells form petal shapes amid scattered shards of mother of pearl, which ping when the grotto is lit up at night.
“There are shells throughout,” said the designer Lucy Barlow, “as there is a stone scallop shell in the hood above the front door. I love oak leaves too.” The Hearth is a triple-height dining hall for 60-70 people dominated by a huge, iron chandelier of twirling oak leaves. For larger events, Kilvert Hall has a handbuilt bar and glass doors that look onto the formal gardens at the back of the house.
Lucy had a younger crowd in mind when creating the interiors. “It is light and bright and a bit fresher than you might see elsewhere,” she said. “We used lots of beautiful greens and plaster pinks, so it’s natural but not overbearing, though we do have some pops.”
Armchairs dazzle in Chelsea Upholstery fabrics and rugs are by Pelican House. For a period house, it is also glossier than you might expect. In the study/cinema room, it is a surprise to see traditional ceiling plasterwork gleaming with a green gloss. When paired with bold, buttercup yellow walls, it gives the room contemporary verve that contrasts with sensible pencil curtains and mullioned windows.
Elsewhere, designer Malcolm Scoular has created the house’s showstopping, marble-topped Fitz Bar, where a faux-tortoiseshell pattern explodes across golden panels.
A painting by Bristol artist Natalie Savage brings an element of fun to the dressing and treatment room, where massages can be arranged. The room, decked out in hot pinks, leopard print and sleek marble dressing tables, will appeal to brides-to-be, while in the gentleman’s quarters, a barber’s chair in racing green leather is the centrepiece.
The designers brought in tons of antique furniture. “Old furniture is better made, more attractive and often cheaper,” said Lucy. Each has a minibar hidden away in a random cupboard, stocked with kombucha and other treats. Bedrooms One and Ten are vast hideaways, with bay windows and statement rolltop baths that stand on platforms of burgundy and white tiles. The tubs are lovingly wrapped in Fermoie’s shell-patterned, fabric wallpaper, in ocean-inspired shades of deep blue or green.
The refurbishment cost more than was originally planned. “The asbestos definitely ate into the budget,” said Gaby, “we have gone quite a bit over”.
Now that it’s finally ready, she envisages the house being used for a variety of purposes, from weddings to brand collaborations and wellness retreats. “We can do woodland lunches or big sit-down dinners, cocktails, lawn games, foraging sessions and whiskey tastings,” she said.
The couple’s toughest decision has been regarding the purchase of an adjacent plot of land that contains a walled garden once belonging to the house. “It was another thing to hit our budget,” said Gaby. “But now our ten year plan is to create a garden room for wedding ceremonies (also available in the main house) and to turn the stables into a yoga studio and a general store. It allows us to give something back to the community.”
A fig tree that has grown on an inside wall will stay in the garden room, as it lends it the feel of an orangery. A Daylesford-style fruit and veg store planned for locals will also serve wine – just another reason to visit Kin House in quiet Kington Langley. As Gaby puts it: “People who have been driving past the house for years say how nice it is to see it back in use.”