When Laura Berkeley-Hawkes and her husband looked to move out of London and found this eighteenth-century Cotswold agricultural barn conversion, it was love at first sight. But they knew there was something even better beneath the surface.
After living in the property for a while, she and daughter Gracy decided to make renovating the property their first job as interior design duo Berkeley Hawkes.
‘It had a wonderful atmosphere and a great sense of potential,’ explains Gracy, ‘but living here gave us invaluable insight into how the space was used day to day.
‘That lead to us wanting to make some structural adjustments to fix the flow and light, as well as the cosmetic changes we already wanted to make.’
Creating a feeling
‘How do people feel in the space?’ asks Laura. ‘You want people to feel relaxed. If you go into something that's very formal and uptight, where everything's super precious and fragile, that doesn't create a good feeling. But you can still have lovely things in a relaxed environment.
‘We love visiting historic houses,’ she continues, ‘and love looking at the surfaces and the fabrics and how they've aged. So as long as you embrace them, and enjoy them, then you won't feel so stressed out about it when you get a mark on the table – it looks used and like you've had a nice time.’
Original features are another aspect of interiors that the pair love to work with.
‘The barn had some original features that were lovely – and that's our thing,’ says Gracy. ‘We always keep original features and usually, if the building has lost them, we’ll reinstate them.
‘The beams here were painted white, so we had to strip all that back and sand blast them to reveal their beauty. It was a very messy job but definitely worth it.’
Georgian-inspired wall panelling and kitchen cabinetry were then added to honour the farm's origins. Reclaimed oak floorboards and thoughtfully chosen antiques further enhance the building’s character, while a neutral palette is punctuated by warming tones of red and brown and our own bronze details.
Get the best you can
When it came to architectural details for the project, Laura already had us in mind.
‘Over the years, I’ve used quite a lot of different companies for switches and sockets,’ she tells us. ‘It’s very hard to get good finishes.
‘The Corston finishes are spot on, and I think the feeling is super important. We don't use synthetic materials anywhere. You’re touching those switches all the time so the way the push feels in your hand and how the surface feels is extremely important.’
Gracy adds: ‘I think those details are like jewellery on an outfit. They're the accessories, which are so important.
‘Also, they’re what you touch. There are some things you can get away with, but there are other areas where you need to get the best you can.
‘People say it's just a switch or a socket but it's way more than that. If you’re touching something all the time, that's a good place to spend your money. That's your physical experience of the space.’
Published on 15th April 2026
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