How to rebuild an old house and make it a modern marvel, using most of its original materials
This sitting room in a newly built house on Exmoor has been lent a timeless feel by a fossil-stone fireplace.
Duredon Farmhouse, in the heart of Exmoor, was in such a state of disrepair when the lawyer-turned-interior designer Charles O’Connor and his partner, Edward Greenall, took it on that they decided to rebuild it from scratch.
The house stands in the middle of an estate and, due to strict planning restrictions, the new structure had to follow the footprint of the original building. The project, which broke ground in 2019 and ran during much of the pandemic, involved reusing most of the materials from the old house, including building stones, floorboards and roof slates.
The library forms part of a succession of three rooms, with the kitchen and dining room, separated by wide arches. ‘The arrangement has proved very popular when the house is let out to families, as it’s where people gather to watch television when others are in the kitchen,’ explains O’Connor, partner at the Dorset-based interior design studio Olpol & Co.
The starting point was the Derbyshire fossil-stone fireplace, supplied by architectural salvage specialist Lassco. ‘It dates back to the 1820s and sets the tone of the room,’ he explains. Several pieces were bought at a contents sale of Wormington Grange in Gloucestershire. Others came from the couple’s previous home. The walls are painted in Farrow & Ball’s Dead Salmon.
The ottoman, covered in a Robert Kime striped fabric, was bought from antique dealer Rebecca Christie Miller. On the floor is a rug from Salisbury-based auctioneers Woolley & Wallis. Meanwhile, a pop of contemporary colour is introduced with the tangerine-orange ceramic lamp with a gathered shade from Samarkand Design.
This feature originally appeared in the August 23, 2026, issue of Country Life. Click here for more information on how to subscribe.'
