My Country Life: Luke Edward Hall

Luke Edward Hall is an artist and designer whose philosophy is shaped by his love of storytelling. He established his studio in 2015 and works across a broad range of projects. Luke exhibits his drawings, paintings and ceramics with The Breeder gallery. He also works as an interior designer. In 2020 his first large hotel project – Les Deux Gares – opened in Paris. Luke is a columnist for the Financial Times, answering readers’ questions on aesthetics and interior design. His book, A Kind of Magic: The Kaleidoscopic World of Luke Edward Hall, is out now.

Were you brought up in the countryside?
I grew up in Basingstoke, which is surrounded by beautiful Jane Austen countryside, and we often went to Somerset – where my mother’s family is from – and Devon. I always loved our trips to the southwest. When my husband and I lived primarily in London, we’d escape every month or so to the country, and we eventually decided to look for a place of our own to rent for the weekends.

Can you describe your country house?
We spent months looking for a place in various pockets, and finally came across a small cottage on an estate on the Gloucestershire/Oxfordshire border. The cottage used to belong to a farmer – it looks like a child’s drawing of a house. It has a big garden and, crucially, our nearest neighbours are a 10-minute walk away.

Why did you choose this particular place?
Because of the privacy it offered – we live down a track and, even though we’re not far from Chipping Norton and Stow-on-the-Wold, our pocket feels remote and untouched. Our landlord really looks after the land, and when we viewed the house we instantly warmed to the people we met from the estate.

What’s the view from your windows?
From the kitchen we look out at a big expanse of lawn with fields behind. We have vegetable and flower beds at the front and on one side of the house, and at the back we’ve tried to create a kind of meadow. We let it grow fairly wild. In the summer we mow a path to the gate.

How would you describe the style of your house?
It’s a simple farmer’s cottage. We love colour and pattern, so the interior is quite classic English country with the volume turned up. We have lots of old chintz fabrics, a magenta loo, floral wallpapers, bullion fringes and frothy 1980s-inspired silk blinds. It’s an eclectic mix, and rather romantic. My decoration heroes are John Fowler, David Hicks and the Bloomsbury Group.

How do your surroundings influence your work?
In a simple way, nature is good for my head. Living in a quiet, peaceful pocket gives me room to think and to create. Motifs from the garden find their way into my work all the time – in paintings and in fabric and clothing designs.

How is the social scene different in the country?
We’ve been lucky in that we’ve made lots of local friends, and socialising feels more relaxed out here. We love having people over for long lunches and we’ll think of any excuse to throw a party. I love that popping in for a quick drink is a thing here. In London I’d never pop over to someone’s house for a drink. Somehow it all feels a bit more spontaneous in the country.

Which are your favourite secret pubs/restaurants in the neighbourhood?
This is no secret, but The Woolpack in Slad is the best pub I’ve been to. We love it enormously: delicious food and a great atmosphere. It’s just outside Stroud, in Laurie Lee country. We also adore The Straw Kitchen at Whichford Pottery – when it’s open we go every Saturday for breakfast. The cooking is inventive and really vivid. It’s not your average Cotswolds experience.

What about local galleries and museums?
Compton Verney has great shows, and the house sits in beautiful parkland landscaped by Capability Brown. We love visiting houses and gardens, and we have great ones close by – Upton Wold, Sezincote, Kiftsgate…

Favourite country pursuits?
We have two whippets, so much walking. There are a few favourite local routes and spots: Chastleton, a Jacobean manor close to our cottage, and Wychwood Forest. Gardening is a big thing for us, too. We grow lots of flowers and our own vegetables.

Do you have favourite shops and markets?
The Saturday market in Stroud is excellent for fresh, local ingredients. D’Ambrosi in Stow-in-the-Wold does brilliant food to take away, and they cater parties. I’m obsessed with The Organic Farm Shop, near Cirencester, and Station Mill in Chipping Norton has a good selection of vintage and antique bits and bobs. Mor in “Chippy” does top-notch croissants.

What do you miss most about the country when you’re in town?
When I’m in London, I start to go a bit mad, having so many people around me – although, after a long stretch in the country, I miss my city friends and crave busy pavements. I’m really lucky, being able to have a bit of both. I like the balance: I love the city, but I need the country to feel sane and happy.

What do you love most about where you live?
The space, the quiet, and being able to live with nature in such a close-up way on a daily basis. I love keeping a garden in the country and I love how my surroundings inform my work.

Luke Edward Hall

Pictures from top: Luke Edward Hall (photograph by Billal Taright); the farmhouse style kitchen in Hall’s cottage; inside Straw Kitchen, Whichford Pottery; an eclectic corner of the cottage