My Country Life: Max Rollitt

Max Rollitt is an antiques dealer, furniture-maker and interior designer whose unique sensibility is grounded in his knowledge of historic architecture and design. He has a joyful approach that layers history, texture, colour and comfort. All three strands of his business are housed under one roof at Yavington Barn, a converted grain store in the Hampshire countryside. 

Were you brought up in the country?
I grew up in Winchester, which is classified as a city, but feels more like a market town. The countryside was easily accessible by bicycle – I often took off to explore with some sandwiches, a flask of instant coffee and my camera. It wasn’t until 2009, though, that my wife, Jane, and I moved our family from the centre of town to a farmhouse five miles northeast in the Itchen Valley. I can’t count the number of times I must have cycled past it unknowingly.

Can you describe your home?
It’s a typical English country house in that it’s a story of evolution. There are telltale signs of it having undergone multiple rounds of remodelling, each one reflecting the wealth and fashion of the time. It was built in the 1780s using elements from a 13th-century priory dissolved by Henry VIII.

The outer walls are a patchwork of Caen and Purbeck stone and local flint. Inside, there’s a provincial figure of a saint embedded into a corner of the kitchen. The remnants of 18th-century skirting, dado rails and cornicing upstairs feel very grand, too.

Why did you choose this house?
It’s smaller than we would have liked, but it’s on a 10-acre plot that was once part of a 500-acre farm. The potential was in the outbuildings – one of which has become Yavington Barn. It has 6,000 sq ft of showroom, 1,500 sq ft of office space, an upholstery workshop and a polishing shop.

It’s a dealer-designer’s dream because it gives me space to play with pieces – to see how they work, how to arrange them and how to balance the overall effect. A single-track road runs between here and the house, which acts as a physical and mental boundary. My dog, Beano, likes to pretend he owns that particular stretch of road.

What’s the view from your window?
The office at Yavington Barn looks out over the fields and down to the River Itchen. It’s the most wonderful way to experience the seasons, with an almost cinematic panorama. We get wagtails bobbing about on the roof of the polishing shop, birds of prey circling the fields, geese flying in formation. In winter, when the landscape is more exposed, you’ll see a procession of swans making their way down the river. 

How would you describe the style of your house?
Ultimately, it’s a house that has spawned three artists and a cabinet-maker. It’s full of artefacts found over the years that have proved influential. My son Ed’s bedroom has turned into his studio and is a Wunderkammer of objects and curios collected by him.

How do your surroundings influence your work?
Put simply, they give me the space to breathe and indulge my thoughts. 

Is there a house locally that you covet?
There’s a beautiful house in central Winchester that I’ve admired since I was a boy. It has had many guises and was recently sold. I nearly fell off my chair when the new owners approached me to work on it – quite the full circle. 

Which local galleries and museums do you love?
I make a regular pilgrimage to Uppark House in West Sussex. Now looked after by the National Trust, it is the most extraordinary example of 17th-century English architecture – my favourite period. It suffered the most dreadful fire and was being restored while I was doing my apprenticeship, so I kept a close eye on it. The interiors have the most sensuous decoration, with beautiful colours and texture retained from the surviving fabrics. It’s a great place of learning. 

Which are your favourite shops and pubs?
There’s an excellent shop in Winchester called The Hambledon, which the owner, Victoria Suffield, has done the most brilliant job with. “We like to think of it as a kind of department store, but just selling the good stuff” – that’s how she describes it. My favourite pub is the Harrow Inn, over in Steep. It’s a proper pub that serves proper homemade fare: “Strictly no microwaves.”

Any favourite walks?
From us, there’s a lovely loop that takes in The Grange Vineyard, then crosses the downs to Old Alresford.

What do you love most about where you live?
It really is hard to imagine being anywhere else. Above all, it’s a happy home for my family and my dogs.

Max Rollitt 

Pictures from top: Max Rollitt; Ed Rollitt’s bedroom is a Wunderkammer of objects and curios; the entrance hall in Rollitt’s home; and the boot room