THE BRIEF
To create a warm and relaxed family sitting room within a beautifully converted Cotswold barn in Gloucestershire — a space that invited quiet, relaxing evenings by the fire, and weekend moments spent playing board games together.
Central to the brief was the requirement to design and build a new fireplace. One that felt architectural, considered, and in keeping with the scale and materiality of the original building. Ample wood storage and using the clients wood burner was also a practical necessity, thoughtfully integrated into the overall composition.
A key design challenge was to preserve the open-plan feel of the ground floor — maintaining clear lines of sight and a sense of flow — while introducing a level of comfort and intimacy that would allow the room to feel cocooning after dark. The space should feel grounded, inviting, and made for family life.
This project was undertaken as part of my FULL DESIGN SERVICE
THE DESIGN
The colour palette draws directly from the surrounding rural landscape, grounding the scheme in its Cotswold setting. Soft creams are paired with nature-inspired blues and greens to create a calm, restorative atmosphere, while deeper tones add depth and contrast. A warm terracotta accent introduces richness and warmth, anchoring the space.
The hard and soft material palette both layer in texture, character and cosiness. With a new statement costswold stone fireplace with oak beam and herringbone oak flooring, layered up with a large wool rug and large family sized sofas and boucle armchairs and footstools for putting your feet up and watching TV.
New accent tables and portable lamps bring the walls in of an evening, creating a cosy pool of light by the fireplace and making the edges of the room recede into darkness.
Moodboard
A large ottoman provides a practical and central space for board games, storage and casual gathering. Styling was kept relaxed and personal, using the family’s existing art, books and ceramics — with a few carefully selected additions to complete the scheme and bring a sense of polish.
A particular highlight was commissioning a landscape artist to create a bespoke piece for the space — a calming, painterly focal point that balances the fireplace and enhances the room’s connection to its setting.
Client testimonial
“Tania Davies is a remarkable Interior Designer. Capturing our vision and stimulating a creative design solution, Tania made a daunting exercise fun and incredibly rewarding.
Applying such attention to detail, including lighting, texture, and colour, Tania was able to unite two very different tastes (mine and my husband's!) and achieve the most beautiful and unique space, fitting with our family needs.
The journey from start to finish was un-pressured, clear, and very comfortable. The presentation of mood boards and pictures helped create a vision that we could embrace. The introduction of the most wonderful artist was also a joyful encounter. We now have a beautiful, bespoke piece, which has received no end of praise.
Tania was most patient as we considered varying options - and when we tweaked them along the way! Nothing was too great a challenge, and all was delivered within a very tight time frame.
Tania's exceptional organisational skills, flexible and reliable schedule, and calm and uplifting temperament made the design journey enjoyable. There was adherence to budget, with regular updates and options on spend, from start to finish.
Having translated our ideas into a functional, comfortable, and aesthetically pleasing space, it goes without saying that Tania's expertise falls somewhere between exceptional and perfection.”
S Harrison, Cirencester