Case study

A Sussex Countryside Manor

Designed by Gunter & Co

In the hush of the Sussex countryside, where clipped hedges give way to rolling parkland and long gravel drives, this English manor house sits quietly within its gardens. Extended and altered over the course of three decades, the property had gradually lost the coherence and character of its origins. When Gunter & Co were invited to reimagine it, their task was not simply decorative but restorative – to bring warmth, clarity and a sense of belonging back to a house that had begun to feel disjointed and impersonal.

“The sheer scale left it feeling cold,” Irene of Gunter & Co reflects.“We wanted to soften that, layering in texture and detail so that each space felt warm, welcoming and genuinely lived in.” What followed was a carefully orchestrated transformation, delivered in two considered phases. The main house was addressed first, with a focus on creating a modern country house aesthetic rooted in craftsmanship and individuality. Bespoke finishes, thoughtful design, and close collaboration with skilled makers reintroduced depth and personality to rooms that had once felt anonymous.

Nowhere is this dialogue between past and present more apparent than in the principal bathroom. Framed by hand-painted de Gournay wallpaper – a sweep of inky florals set against a soft, atmospheric ground – the room feels both romantic and composed. At its centre rests Drummonds’ Tamar freestanding bath in polished cast iron, its generous silhouette offering sculptural clarity against the intricacy of the walls. The polished exterior, hand-finished to an almost mirror-like sheen, reflects light softly across the floor, while taps from the Bestwood collection introduce a confident architectural note – precise in proportion, reassuring in weight.

A bespoke vanity with fluted cabinetry and a marble surface curves gently into the corner, softening the geometry of the space. Chrome fittings and mirrored panels introduce a touch of Art Deco refinement, while the painted woodwork frames the scheme much like a mount around a painting. It is a reminder that restraint can be as powerful as embellishment.

Elsewhere, intimacy is found not through scale but through texture. The cinema room is wrapped entirely in block-printed fabric by Fermoie – deployed across walls, curtains, and a fringe-trimmed pelmet to enhance acoustics and deepen the palette. A bespoke sofa, designed to seat four with integrated side tables, anchors the space, while circulation was consciously reduced to prioritise comfort.

Beyond the main house, the second phase saw the complete rebuilding of the Guest and Wellness Pavilion. Here, Gunter & Co embraced a more playful sensibility while maintaining the layered warmth established throughout the manor. An indoor pool is wrapped in an ombré Tadelakt finish, its plastered walls shifting gently in tone under low-level lighting, the calm envelope offset by a checkerboard mosaic that animates the pool floor.

“Our goal was to create something that felt like a real home away from home,” the studio notes. That instinct carries through to the guest bedrooms, where angled ceilings are cocooned in a single Lewis & Wood wallpaper, dissolving awkward junctions and enveloping the architecture in pattern.

Throughout, there is a clear through-line: a respect for the manor’s history paired with a willingness to push it forward. Colour is used with confidence, trims are painted to frame and define, and materials are selected as much for their tactility as their durability. Most importantly, the collaboration between designer and client is evident in the ease of the result.

“There was such trust,” Gunter & Co reflects. “That openness is what allowed us to bring so much personality into each space.” The house no longer feels fragmented or anonymous. Instead, it reads as a considered whole: layered, inviting and entirely at ease in its Sussex setting.

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