A Cotswolds attic that’s been turned into a fairytale fantasy bedroom

A space once used for storage has been transformed into a dreamy place for children to sleep by designer Tess Newall.

When a 30-year tenancy on Cyder House, one of the properties belonging to Frampton Court in Gloucestershire, came to an end, the Clifford family, who have lived on the estate since 1730, set out to transform it.

‘Having established a successful business hosting weddings and letting both the main house and the Orangery, we decided to turn The Cyder House into another holiday let that sleeps 16 people,’ explains Charlotte Clifford.

Each of the bedrooms is named after pear varieties grown on the estate. This room, known as Gypsy Red, is at the top of the house in a space that had previously been used for storage.

‘I decided to install four cabin beds to create somewhere magical to sleep,’ says Mrs Clifford. ‘I designed the outline shapes of each bed and then cast around to find someone who could paint them.’

Recommended videos for you

The answer lay with the decorative artist Tess Newall, who used colours inspired by traditional painted wagons with motifs taken from a tapestry in the main house.

To soften the space, Mrs Clifford added frilled cushions on each bed by Alice Palmer and curtains in a pink and white ticking from Painswick Fabrics in Stroud, Gloucestershire. ‘I was worried about how children were ever going to get to sleep, but it turns out that drawing the curtains in the cabins works perfectly.’

The Cyder House at Frampton Court, Gloucestershire — www.framptoncourtestate.co.uk.
Tess Newall —
www.tessnewall.com