A Regency home in the Cotswolds

Having studied art history, worked as a fashion PR and latterly trained as an interior designer, before launching her antiques business, Lizzie Gordon, unsurprisingly, does not follow a traditional style blueprint. The Regency Cotswolds home that she shares with husband Tim and their two children, showcases her anti-minimalist style – a look that harks back to the golden era of Hollywood, encapsulating bold, exuberant colours and large prints.

‘I wouldn’t say I’m a cohesive collector, but there are certain periods I’m definitely drawn to,’ says Lizzie. ‘I have an instinctive love of the masculine form of mid-century antiques – but like to mix it up with art deco furniture, contemporary 21st-century pieces, statement vintage lighting and Hollywood regency – my greatest obsession.’

For Lizzie, 1930s California was a gloriously glamorous place with a bold and unapologetic use of colour. The key shades emanating from that time and place: dusky pink and turquoise, black and white, gold and metal, are enduringly intriguing for her. ‘I’m inspired by the work of American designers Dorothy Draper and Elsie de Wolfe and today’s designers Jonathan Adler, Miles Redd and also Kelly Wearstler.’

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Brightly patterned wallpapers, colourful glassware and ceramics pay homage to this look and, throughout, a palette of turquoise, green and blue – punctuated with vivid pops of pink and orange – cohesively link spaces together. Colourful textiles from Luke Edward Hall and Vivienne Westwood are layered with fervently collected pieces from Parisian ceramics brand Astier de Villatte and more intimate personal treasures.

Objects picked up in France – where Lizzie’s parents have a house – feature heavily throughout her home, too. ‘I love buying pieces at the French markets. I go with cash and negotiate. L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue and Paris’s Saint-Ouen markets are amazing, but the prices are high-end and you’re unlikely to find a bargain.’

Stumbling upon their home nine years ago triggered a chain reaction for Lizzie – swapping a city Pimlico flat for rural village living; high heels for wellies – albeit still glamorous ones; and a career in fashion for antiques. ‘We were visiting friends in the Cotswolds, happened to drive through an incredibly pretty village and saw this house. We fell in love with its elegant proportions. It’s such a ‘Jane Austen having tea in the morning room’ kind of home,’ says Lizzie.

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Within a year she and Tim had sold their London flat and in 2008 moved in with dogs, cats, chickens and first baby firmly in tow. ‘Used to flying around the world, running various Fashion Weeks, moving here was a total culture shock and change of pace,’ says Lizzie.

Untouched for 40 years, the Grade II-listed house underwent a full-scale renovation. Boutique hotel-style touches have been added with a contemporary country kitchen and luxe bathrooms, but the bare bones have been respected and the floorplan kept true to the original layout. ‘Planning restricted what we could do structurally, but cosmetically the beautiful Regency design provided the perfect backdrop for me to have fun creating spaces for all the pieces that I have been avidly collecting for years,’ says Lizzie.

Period this house may be but cosy country it is not – which is one of the reasons why Lizzie’s style is proving such a hit. ‘When I walk into a crowded antiques market, I focus in on what attracts me. It’s pretty instant; a gut feeling. For me, a piece of furniture that has survived both World Wars, or was in existence before some countries had even been discovered, is beyond interesting. I love shaking up the ordinary with touches of the extraordinary, but it is always about the actual piece, never the latest trend.’