Designer + project you should know: Isabella Worsley of Callow Hall
A manor house hotel filled with color and charm in England's Peak District
Nestled in the picturesque Derbyshire countryside, Callow Hall is a stunning English country hotel housed in beautifully restored Victorian manor home. I had the pleasure of visitng and staying here a few years ago, and I think about it often (VERY often) . In addition to how good the hotel smelled (a perfect combination of natural wood fire and some sort of apparently proprietary sweet woodsy scent that I swear they pumped through the vents and refused to tell me more information about), the hotel itself is the perfect mix of architecturally stunning and completely cozy and comfortable at the same time. I think about this place often; it’s nestled in what feels like a magical woodland in the midst of the Peak District, and I’ve vowed to return one day. When working through my own designs, I often reminisce about spaces like this, trying to replicate that beautifully formal feeling in a completely functional and accessible space. Isabella Worsley has accomplished this perfectly with Callow Hall, and this puts this right at the top of my English countryside recomendations list.
As soon as you pull up the the Victorian manor, you’re greeted with a gorgeous and oversized arched foor (picture I snapped of the door below- I couldn’t get over the sheer size of it), which leads into a large and warm foyer space. I love the oversized lamps, and how the modern lucite botanical pieces line up perfectly with the stripes in the wallpaper (details, details).
You can keep walking through the foyer space into the large, airy, and modern restaurant space (which was delicious- if you’re in the area and aren’t staying here, please do stop in for a meal at least!) While this is a modern addition, I love how the design team leaned into the conservatory feel, filling the space with plant and colors found in the surrounding countryside. As you’ll see throughout the hotel’s design, the use of pattern lampshades takes each space up a notch, and here in the restaurant, gives it that extra sexy feel at night.
But my favorite spaces throughout the hotel were the sitting rooms or “keeping rooms”, those cozy and multifunctional rooms that ultimately serve as little spaces to gather and relax, to have a drink, read, or even play a game. A keeping room traditionally has a warm and inviting atmosphere, and can be grand or small- these spaces aren’t supposed to be dictated by the architecture of your home, but are more defined by the space’s furnishings and finishings instead. Most of the time, these are close to a kitchen, but I think you can tuck these spaces into wherever you have room! Bonus points if there is a wood burning fireplace (always).
We had many gin & tonics here in this space, sitting in the overstuffed blue chairs under the window (a dream to have a cozy snug library where you can sit with cocktails- extremely me).
I love how Worsley has paid attention to the little spaces throughout, like this niche behind the large main staircase. You don’t have to have an entire room to dedicate to cozy seating for relaxing with cocktails, you can carve this out where you have the space. It’s also so nice to think outside of the “console table with lamps” plan that’s often so common in these kinds of spaces.
Another example of using every niche you can for comfort: this large landing on the staircase that perfectly houses a pair of comfy chairs. This doesn’t compete with the view, which is framed like a painting outside of that stunning bay window. Notice how there are no curtains? All you need is a pair of cozy chairs and a lamp, and you’re well on your way.
The larger dining room and living rooms are also finished beautifully, as you can imagine- one thing that Worsley does well (and I find that British designers in general do so well) is incorporate so much seating to fill a space. I know that this design is hospitality focused (it is a hotel, after all), but this is a great example of how the best way to make a room feel really full is to layer lots and lots of seating throughout. Make sure to float it in the middle of the room, creating groupings of seating or zones, just like this living space below:
Of course, the bedrooms and bathrooms are so well thought out, too, and are filled with British textiles and patterns from the likes of Soane Britain, Robert Kime, Penny Morrison, and GP & J Baker. The layers! The combinations of patterns and fabrics! So perfectly and classically British.
And of course, the passageways and those “throughout” spaces are so perfectly designed and well thought out, too. I love just how much color and pattern is used throughout this space, but none of it seems to compete with each other- instead, it all works together harmoniously to create a warm and cozy space that feels accessible but still very, very special.
Of course, the exterior is just as stunning as the interior, with sweeping views of what I can only imagine utopia would look like. And you wouldn’t believe the stars you can see at night!
If you do make the trek to Callow Hall, I think you’ll find that it’s well worth it for the views and design alone. There are some lovely little treehouse cottages to rent on the property too, which look so cool and cozy- but I definitely recommend a stay at the manor house. And if you’re in the area, you can also visit the iconic Chatsworth House (to pay a visit to Mr. Darcy, of course), Hardwick Hall (owned by the renown Elizabethan badass Bess of Hardwick), and Haddon Hall (which I didn’t have time to visit but looks incredible).
If you want to see more of Isabella Worsley’s stunning work, you can see her portfolio here. I have a few other designers and their notable projects to feature coming up, but please let me know if there’s someone of note that you’d like to dive into in a future letter!
Have a glorious Friday.
