Who lives in a house like this?
A sneak-peek inside one of the Cotswold homes of the rich and famous

The multi-million pound homes dotted around the lakes at the private Lakes by yoo 850 acre estate near Lechlade in the Cotswolds are not primary residences, but second, third or even fourth homes for many of the privileged wealthy owners.

When you first see one of the holiday homes at the Lakes by yoo, you could be mistaken for thinking it is just a rather plain, simple, wooden structure, but each lodge may appear similar on the outside, but each one has its own bespoke individual interior-designed identity.

A London award-winning designer was commissioned by the owner of one of these lodges to design the interior and turn it into a temple dedicated to family living. And I was invited to take a look inside!

The illustrious designer spent a lot of time with the client discussing the personalities of her four children aged between 2 and 8 and the client’s requirements for the five bedrooms, six bathrooms lakeside house. The owner wanted her two boys and two girls to be part of the whole communal space and to even have inter-connecting doors between the boys’ bedrooms. She didn’t want the children to have any input into the design process or know what was planned for them, as she wanted the unveiling of the finished design to be a massive surprise.

The client loves bright colours and this is reflected in her younger son’s bedroom with its huge graffiti wall with his name emblazoned across it.

And, in her elder son’s bedroom, there is a bug theme in black and white with sand-blasted wooden planks and powder-coated scaffolding to make a mezzanine adventure space – all very industrial! To bring in some youthful colour to the monochrome walls and bedding, the ceiling is painted bright yellow like sunshine and there are matching scatter cushions to create another dimension. The en-suite bathroom has a softer yellow and grey palette.

For the girls, their mother wanted a pink Princess theme for the younger daughter and a French chic feel for the slightly older daughter, who is already elegant and feminine and loves her ballet.

The inventive designer insists that each bedroom is a reflection of the children’s personalities and not their hobbies. She wanted to create an imaginative fantasy space that is also adventurous and innovative. Both natural light and the landscape is drawn into the rectangular building via floor to ceiling windows and the stunning lake views can be seen from an assortment of designer swings and climbing places to encourage unrestrained freedom.

Above the children’s bedrooms on the top floor is the main bedroom suite, comprising a mixture of Ibiza-chic with natural textures. Pearlescent lights blend naturally with the wood effect wallpaper and imitation silk/suede and metal studs on the bed-head. The stark whiteness of the room is simple, elegant and timeless with touches of international glamour showing the designer’s experiment with ideas and textures combined with suggestions from the homeowner, who was more involved in this space than any other.

There is very little colour in the bathrooms to distract you, but the splashes of colour that exist shout vibrancy, luxury and excitement contrasting the bright white with neon or orange to link to their corresponding bedrooms.

Downstairs, there is more use of natural products and internal hints at the beautiful lake and wooded vista outside. The faux porcelain floor made to look like wide planks of wood stretches the whole length of the ground floor and the dining table top is distressed oak on a Perspex base to create a sense of space and create the effect the table top is floating. The artwork on the walls is almost entirely of trees to bring in the natural elements and draw your gaze to the lake and beyond.

Next to the off-white and silver open-plan family living, dining, kitchen area is the colourful and cosy snug which, although small, has a huge sofa filling the room like an over-sized bed where the whole family can tumble, sprawl and be comfortable whilst watching TV. Once again, the designer has mixed the bland with the colourful with an electrifying pink wallpaper and occasional tables or stools made out of tree stumps and painted in vibrant colours and lacquered for durability.

Most people enjoy seeing behind closed doors and like having the opportunity to snoop around someone else’s home and this friendly, open, light-filled home does not disappoint. There is no lack of atmosphere and every designer detail oozes exquisite craftsmanship. Designed to be a home for a family, each room wraps its nurturing fabric around each of its occupants.

Photography by: Richard Gooding Photography
Styling by: Niche PR
Design by: Blanca Sanchez of Halo Design Interiors