Stylish Home Tour: A 17th Century Manor Styled with Quintessential English Charm and a Scandi Twist
Welcome to the BLOG
Hi, I’m Sandra,
If you're in awe of stunning interiors and crazy about home decor, you’re in the right place. As an interior writer with a background in styling and photography for leading magazines around the globe, as well as an avid home renovator, I am here to help all you interior enthusiasts to style and decorate your home with ease and confidence, like a pro.
On this blog, I’ll be sharing inspiring tours of beautifully styled spaces, along with insightful articles packed with advice, tips, and ideas for home styling and decoration. Having styled countless different homes, I am able to introduce you to a wide variety of interior styles and aesthetics, rather than focusing on a single look. Today’s post takes you on a tour of a quintessential 17th-century house with lots of ideas to steal, from pattern drenching in the bedroom to styling with Moroccan global finds in the living room. The Manor House is also featured in my blog post featuring stunning vacation homes.
A STUNNING QUINTESSENTIALLY ENGLISH MANOR
Photo credit: All images by Sandra van Aalst except Shalfleet in the snow, courtesy of Victoria.
Today I am taking you on a grand tour of a rather grand 17th-century English manor I photographed and styled for magazine features It appeared in 25 Beautiful Homes in the UK and Wohnen in Germany. Shalfleet Manor is situated on the Isle of Wight, just off the south coast of England, and is a beautiful Grade II listed property that has been refurbished in a considered and stylish way by owner Victoria Bonham Christie, who waited more than 20 years to finally call the place hers.
As well as adding elegant, modern touches throughout, Victoria preserved the historic features of the building, including the carved fireplace and panelled drawing room pictured here, the mullioned windows, many wooden beams and more. Her interior design style is quintessentially English with a Scandi twist. While decorating with pattern in the bedrooms, downstairs Victoria chose a pared-back palette of calming shades, such as off-white, taupe and grey, so as to not distract from the manor’s original features. Keen to mix new with old, Victoria sourced furniture from markets both abroad and in the UK, as well as antique shops and auction houses, with a few specially commissioned pieces, such as the dining table. With global finds, vintage and bespoke pieces, the overall look is a home which oozes personality, charm and stacks of character.
SHALFLEET IN THE SNOW
Shalfleet, pictured here, looks glorious in the snow. Victoria purchased the property in early spring, and by the summer had started the daunting project of renovating six bedrooms, five reception rooms, four bathrooms, and two entrance halls before moving on to the farmhouse and cottage, which were also part of the estate! Although the manor house had all the structural characteristics, it was in need of restoring and modernising. Travelling back and forth by ferry from the mainland meant the renovation was a true labour of love for Victoria. Over a few months, she managed to have the house rewired, repainted, and transformed from a time-worn, run-down house to a period home with all its grandeur and the necessary modern comforts.
THE ORNATE FIREPLACE
This is without a doubt the statement room in the house. It was the first room I photographed, and I was immediately in awe of the craftsmanship and drama that comes from its centuries-old carved fireplace and dark wood panelling. To contrast with the wood, Victoria chose cream linen upholstery with a bold burst of burnt orange velvet on the ottoman to add a more modern touch to the traditional scheme. To keep the room light and airy and add texture, she chose neutral-toned jute flooring. Styling-wise, Victoria had already placed white ceramics on the shelves, so, in keeping with the scheme, I added a few more pieces to the fireplace and shelves for the shoot, as well as a few fresh green leaves displayed in a white ceramic jug.
Key Styling Takeaways: The white pots break up the monotony of the dark wood, while the jute carpet in a soft beige complements, rather than competes, with the panelling. The orange ottoman adds that necessary splash of colour and texture.
THE ORANGERY
The orangery is my favourite room, and being filled with light, it was easy to shoot. I love the rugged texture of the old honey-toned stone wall, juxtaposed with a crisp white sofa and rich, velvet-patterned cushions. The flagstone floor gives it that country house feel, while the dark, ornate chandelier brings contrast to the light scheme. Next to the sofa, Victoria has added a big wicker basket full of cushions for outside and blankets, ready for those summer evenings.
Key Styling Takeaways: This look is all about mixing rustic with refined. Both the wall and floor are rugged and original, and in neutral tones, so you can see how the cushions stand out and bring colour and luxurious texture to the room.
SHAKER-STYLE COUNTRY KITCHEN
According to Victoria, the kitchen was the easiest room to refurbish and came complete with an Aga cooker. The cabinetry was actually good quality and a timeless Shaker style, so she just repainted the cupboards with a classic greyish-green colour and replaced the old worktop with a more contemporary composite. I love the imposing aged beams which really add character to the kitchen, contrasting with the pale tones of the walls and cabinets.
Key Styling Takeaways: Victoria added a few stylish touches, including a jug of just-picked wildflowers, herbs in rustic wooden bowls, and a patterned pitcher. These bring nature and colour to the room.
NEUTRAL-TONED DINING ROOM
The key feature in the dining room is the bleached mango wood dining table, commissioned by Victoria from British furniture designer Susie Watson. This works perfectly with the neutral colour scheme and jute flooring. To add a more contemporary feel, Victoria has paired the table with a bunch of Philippe Starck’s transparent acrylic Ghost chairs. The fireplace is no longer in use, but as it’s still a beautiful feature in the room, we emphasised it by placing a vast vintage glass vase with flowers from the garden on the floor.
Key Styling Takeaways: We kept the styling on the mantelpiece simple, with a decorative mirror to reflect and bounce off the light and a fish sculpture to bring in a coastal touch. The trailing plant and vase of fresh lilac bring a dose of greenery into the room and are echoed by the flowers, fruit and glasses on the table. Finally, the rattan deer head is an attractive touch that brings all the beige tones together and reminds us we are in the countryside.
ENTRYWAY WITH POPS OF RED
Shalfleet has several entrances, including an impressive hallway lined with what looks like old books made out of telephone directories. But this smaller entryway, tucked away next to a back staircase, is so appealing. On an antique-style console table, Victoria has displayed a book all about Shalfleet, a sculptural diver, and a vintage glass vase with a simple branch of red flowers, which ties in with the red stripe on the staircase runner.
Key Styling Takeaways: The flowers and book have been strategically placed to team up with the red of the stair runner. These pops of red really stand out against the neutral backdrop.
THE ELEGANT LIVING ROOM
The living room is spacious, light and airy with white lime-washed wooden floors, while the low ceilings and original beams add a sense of cosiness. An imposing fireplace, which runs through the middle of the house, has a pale stone surround which is a beautiful contrast to the soft grey walls. While Victoria was doing up the house, she sourced three intricately carved Moroccan trunks which she has repurposed as side tables, bringing a touch of global character to the English country style. Victoria opted for elegant, classic-style chairs and sofas upholstered in natural textures, including striped ticking and linens, to bring a fresh coastal feel to the room.
Key Styling Takeaways: Along with the flowers and throw, the standout styling element from this living room is the thoughtful furniture placement. With such a spacious layout, Victoria has cleverly divided the room into two seating areas, each anchored both by a rug so the furniture doesn't feel lost and the space feels more cosy. A Morrocan trunk has been positioned behind the sofa creating a more considered view.
LIVING ROOM STYLISH DETAILS
For the magazines, we styled one of the trunks with a large, pierced-metal lantern and a pair of candle holders in a mix of textures and varying heights. To complete the vignette, we placed a plant in a rustic terracotta pot next to a vase of lilac, freshly gathered from the garden that morning.
Key Styling Takeaway: This vignette looks gorgeous both in the day and in the evening, with the candles from the lantern and the candle holders providing a warm glow.
SPACIOUS MASTER BEDROOM WITH AQUA TONES
With its elegant buttoned headboard and layers of crisp white linen, the spacious master bedroom gives you that feeling of understated luxury. To maintain the historic features running through the house, while preserving the light, airy feel in the bedroom, Victoria chose to whitewash the original beams which run from one side of the bedroom to the other.
Key Styling Takeaway: The blue silk bedspread and printed cushions add those special touches, along with an ottoman in the same fabric as the headboard.
CLASSIC BATHROOM
The master bathroom is classic with a contemporary edge. Here, Victoria opted for a modern take on a traditional freestanding bath, which she placed under the window at the end of the room. The round cabinet in a light green gives an on-trend feel to the bathroom and has plenty of space for hand towels and soap. Soft grey walls and marble herringbone flooring create a calm backdrop for Victoria's stylish bathroom accessories.
Key Styling Takeaway: Here it’s all about details like the striped hammam towels draped over a rustic wooden ladder, a woven basket for essentials, attractive product bottles, plants, and a couple of personal artefacts on the windowsill.
PATTERN-DRENCHED BEDROOM
Embracing the mixing of pattern-on-pattern, Victoria has paired an upholstered headboard in a soft blue floral print with delicate chinoiserie design wallpaper. The different scales and motifs add depth and interest to the room, and the blue tones complement rather than clash, pattern drenching all the way. The painted bedside table adds another shade of blue to the scheme, and if you look carefully, you’ll see that the top of the cabinet has a map of the island as a rather special feature.
Key Styling Takeaway: Here it’s the final touches that tie everything together, including a denim-blue linen cushion and star motif throw, as well as the blue bedside table. All are in complementary blue tones that blend rather than clash.
SOFT MINT-TONED GUEST BEDROOM
This is such a pretty bedroom, with the white cane woven bed frame set against delicate print mint-toned wallpaper. The mix of crisp white furniture, muted tones, and just a few well-chosen accessories keeps the bedroom feeling serene.
Key Styling Takeaway: The bedroom was styled with three cushions in soft green tones with a gorgeous silk bedspread. We added a vase of flowers and a potted plant to bring in a splash of green and nature to the scheme. There is also a grey throw and sheepskin to bring another tone into the room so it isn't only green and white.
THE KIDS ROOM STYLED WITH STARS
Designed with kids in mind, this bedroom sleeps six. It’s in the attic with dark timber original beams standing out as a feature against the whitewashed walls and oatmeal carpet. Victoria has designed this room with matching tongue and groove beds, dressing them with stars and stripes bedspreads and blue or red star cushions as that final decorative touch. The overall look is a mix of coastal meets New England style.
Key styling takeaways: Victoria has added thoughtful touches like curtains with stars, bedside lamps and bunting, all to bring a sense of fun to the children’s bedroom.
LET’S SUM UP
For me, styling and photographing Shalfleet was a great experience as each space had its very own atmosphere and personality. It’s a house that clearly comes alive when it’s filled with friends, family, and laughter. Victoria's ethos is to share Shalfleet with others, and she and her husband, Peter, often have the house teeming with friends and their children, with many a summer party in the grounds. She also rents out the manor through her website, so if you’d like to stay or see more photos, check out www.shalfleetmanor.com.
