The best specialist companies in Britain for country-house renovations

A vaulted country-house kitchen with. blue cabinets, marble countertops, a circular glass ceiling top and wooden butcher's block — (Image credit: Saint John Architectural Interiors)

Set in stone

A double-height pool room with creamy walls and mullioned windows

British stonemasonry company A. F. Jones specialises in architectural stonework, interiors and heritage conservation. This newly built indoor pool is part of the renovation and extension of a listed property in Surrey, thought to be the first residential house designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, which demanded a carefully considered approach to each intervention.

Heritage windows  

Forming part of an extensive renovation of a Grade I-listed Elizabethan manor, these Heritage System bronze windows were chosen for their fine sightlines and ability to incorporate single-glazed traditional leaded lights secured with saddle bars and copper ties, by Architectural Bronze.

Wonder walls

One of the world’s leading authorities on conserving and re-creating historic wallpapers, Allyson McDermott offers a bespoke wallpaper design and making service, as well as a small range of wallpapers inspired by historic originals. Sudeley Castle Chinese wallpaper can be tailored to fit an entire room or ordered as two sets of four panels, from £2,688 per set.

Stone craft

Known for its British stone expertise, Artorius Faber’s range includes Chedworth English cobbles, made from limestone extracted from its own Dorset quarry. Their natural shape makes them useful for matching original cobbles found in courtyards and rural agricultural areas. They cost from £200 per square metre.

Sculpted decoration

Two people bent over a white table covered in plasterwork moulds

Geoffrey Preston heads a small Devon-based sculpture and design studio known for its fine new decorative plasterwork, including ceilings, wall panels and more. Here, modellers Kate Montagne and Louisa Shorney are seen putting the finishing touches to a clay model before moulding and casting.

Antique inspiration

Brass handle on a white background — Image credit: Marshall Brass

Brass handle — Image credit: Marshall Brass

Marshall Brass operates its own small foundry in Norfolk, hand casting brass fittings using moulds taken from antique patterns. This Lifting handle costs £45.

Foundry find

Pile of gold-tone knobs with delicate gold detailing

From its foundry on the South Coast, Beardmore produces fine ironmongery, carrying out engineering, electroplating, traditional casting and hand finishing under one roof. CU1141 cupboard knobs are shown here in the process of being finished in Aged Brass and cost £155 each.

Flagstone flooring

Country-house hallways with a stone floor

Leading tile and stone specialist Lapicida is renowned for its antique reclaimed flooring. These flagstones cost from £354 per square metre.

Wood works

Traditional joinery specialist Jack Badger is known for crafting wall panelling, interior and exterior doors, flooring, gates, kitchens, staircases and all kinds of period architectural joinery. Here, a craftsman employs a hand-tooling technique called matting to enhance the depth and visual contrast of a carving.

Look up

Stevensons of Norwich offers a full plasterwork design, manufacture, restoration and installation service. Its range of finely detailed plaster mouldings includes the Claydon House, The Saloon small ceiling rose, inspired by the notable 18th-century house in Buckinghamshire. It costs £138.

Traditional paints

Dorset-based Rose of Jericho supplies traditional paints and lime mortars, supporting the conservation of historic buildings with authentic materials and in-depth expertise. It holds an extensive library of samples, collected over 40 years, to assist the identification of suitable products for repair work.

Fine fit

Specialising in bespoke kitchens, cabinetry and furniture, Saint John Architectural Interiors’s portfolio of projects includes this custom-made kitchen in a Grade II*-listed Georgian mansion.

Crafted skill

Johanna Welsh of Traditional Pargetting is admired for her skills in ornamental raised plasterwork, undertaking projects on buildings both old and new from her Suffolk base.

Oak originals

Close-up of a man chiselling at a piece of wood

For more than 40 years, Stuart Interiors has specialised in bespoke oak joinery, undertaking detailed interior schemes such as libraries and panelled rooms to staircases and doors, including the Gothic-style tracery door design being carved here.

This feature originally appeared in the September 30, 2026, issue of Country Life. Click here for more information on how to subscribe.'

Amelia Thorpe is a design and interiors journalist and regular contributor to Country Life. She spent the first half of her career book publishing, before jumping the fence to become a writer — a role that she adores. Amelia lives in London with her husband and two roguish dogs.