Oxfordshire Limited Edition – August 2019

August 2019 |OxfordshireLimitedEdition| 29

EmmaSimsHilditchisoneofthecountry’smostsought-afterinteriordesigners.Shetalks

LimitedEdition’sDeniseBarkleythroughhermostrecentOxfordshireproject

COUNTRY LIFE,

REIMAGINED

D

evisingarefinedinterior

schemeforabeautiful

oldrectoryinrural

Oxfordshirewasalabour

oflovefordesignerEmma

SimsHilditch.

Builtinthelate 1700 sthenextendedtwice

inthe 1800 s,theclassicalmanorhouseand

itsadjoiningchapelpositionedinfrontofa

villagechurchareamagnificentexampleof

classicalGeorgianarchitecture.

Overthepastdecade,Emma’scompany,

SimsHilditch,hasbecomesynonymouswith

anEnglishlivingaesthetic,inspiredbythe

greatBritishcountrysideandreimaginedwith

afresheye.Gloucestershire-based,shehas

builtherbusinessfromaone-womancottage

industrytoateamofmorethan 20.

Theoldrectory,Emmarevealed,was

aluckyfindforherclientswhohadtheir

heartssetonmovingtheiryoungfamilyfrom

Londontothecountry.Withthreeyoung

childrenandabusylifestyletheywanted

experthelptocreatetheperfectfamilyhome.

“Wefellinlovewiththearchitectureand

theclassicalproportionsofthehouse–its

bonesareveryelegant,andithassomany

originalfeatures,”saidEmma.

Shebeganwiththedrawingroom,which

runsthewidthofthehouseandhasfivefull-

lengthsashwindows,andcentredthescheme

aroundthebeautifulvintage-stylecurtainsin

heavylinenwhichwerealreadytherewhen

thenewownersmovedin.

Emmacontinued:“Inthediningroom,

theschemewasalsobuiltaroundafabric,a

‘Wefellinlovewiththe

architectureandthe

classicalproportionsof

thehouse–itsbones

areveryelegant,andit

hassomany

originalfeatures’

HOMES INTERIORS