After 11 years in Los Angeles, fashion journalist and broadcaster Louise Roe had the English countryside on her mind. She heeded the call to return to her native Britain, where she and her husband fulfilled a longtime dream of living in one of the idyllic pastoral settings the country is known for.
“The real estate agent joked that he wished he had a pound for every time someone said they wanted a Georgian rectory,” Roe recalls—you may have seen her holding court on the red carpet for Access Hollywood—of the home they eventually found. “It was my Pride and Prejudice scenario. It was heaven. I cried when we found it.”
She and her husband lovingly restored the property, adding fireplaces where they’d previously been excised, repairing the original floorboards, and decorating in what Roe describes as her “traditionally English” aesthetic.
But as people began to flee major cities like London during the COVID-19 pandemic, Roe and her husband saw an opportunity to sell and look for an urban abode. “We realized the country wasn’t for us,” says Roe. “We sold the rectory very quickly off market and immediately began our search.”
What they found sparked a love just like that of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy: a Victorian-era townhome in a quiet neighborhood of London. The house ticked every box—size, location, and natural light—and hadn’t been touched for 30 years, so it had no shortage of original period features that fit seamlessly into Roe’s English-inspired style.
“There’s nothing modern or minimal about how I decorate,” explains Roe. “Even though we left the countryside, I wanted to bring the look to the city.”
Here, she explains how she translated her love for English countryside-inspired interiors to a metropolitan home, so you can try it too.
Borrow from the family
Reusing and repurposing family heirlooms and decor is one of Roe’s top tips for achieving the English countryside aesthetic. “I’m always raiding my parents’ house,” says Roe, who nabbed old black-and-white photos and candlesticks (complete with wax collected in their bases) that had been in the family for years for the new townhome.
And having been in the countryside for just a year, Roe had recently invested in new furniture, textiles, and curtains, all of which she repurposed in London.
Slanted ceilings in the guest room presented a challenge with window coverings. Roe revamped her countryside curtains—from Soane Britain in the fronds pattern—by working with “curtain wizard” Kath Groves to create a tie back inspired by ruffled ball gowns from the 1980s.
“We had to think outside the box with pieces we already had,” says Roe. “There was no way I was going to replace all of this stuff—I wasn’t tired of it yet!”
Invest in a bar cart
Roe recently launched her own handmade homeware and accessories brand Sharland England, and one of her favorite pieces from the collection is a slim console table designed to either work as a cocktail cart or stand in an entryway.
Crafted from natural rattan with a scalloped hem, the table houses Roe’s collection of liquor, along with mini cans of tonic, a basket of limes, and a Pooky lamp with a Fermoie shade.
“The effect is very countryside,” Roe says. “Even if you aren’t having a cocktail, it reminds you Friday night is coming and it’s OK to relax.”
She loves the look so much, Roe invested in a second bar cart, a scalloped wooden antique she filled with colorful cans and artwork. “Why have one if you can have two?” she says.
Embrace books
The English countryside aesthetic is one Roe describes as “lived-in but not messy.” To achieve this in her London townhome, Roe layered in an array of well-loved books and novels from her university days, ones with bent corners and lines down the spine.
“They add such lovely warmth and texture to a room,” says the self-described bookworm. “I love using books that have been read, rather than anything too new or perfect.”
In the snug, Roe installed floor-to-ceiling bookshelves on either side of the vintage fireplace. She placed sconce lighting within the actual shelving to mimic the low lighting at Soho House properties.
“It’s a little trick I love that electricians hate,” laughs Roe. “It helps light the room at the lower level.”
Let there be light
Speaking of lighting, Roe believes low lighting is key to achieving an English countryside vibe. In the townhome, Roe removed any overheard lighting, replacing all with lamps and sconces—on a dimmer, of course. “It’s much cozier,” says Roe. “You can control the ambiance.”
Pick the right paint
Roe relied on richly hued and highly pigmented paints to achieve the English countryside aesthetic. Think warm shades and darker tones that look period-appropriate and also lend themselves well to a lived-in sense of place.
She used colors ranging from a yellow pink (Jonquil by Edward Bulmer) in the guest room and a fire-clay (Brick by Edward Bulmer) as a backdrop to the Sharland England bar cart to a purple-brown (Pompadour by Edward Bulmer) in the bathroom and a brown-red (Sang de Boeuf by Edward Bulmer) in the sitting room.
“I always made sure there was a color story from one room to the next,” says Roe.
Add an antique
“Brown furniture is incredibly beautiful,” Roe says, an antique aficionado. “It brings a sense of nostalgia to a room but not in a Downton Abbey kind of way.”
She recommends placing antiques next to warm tones or pretty prints to bring well-worn styles into the 21st century.
Go au naturel
Sharland England is named in honor of Roe’s great grandmother, from whom Roe inherited her love for rattan furniture. “My great grandmother lived in Buenos Aires and had tons of rattan furniture,” Roe says. “She was known for hosting fabulous parties and always had her pudding first. I love that spirit.”
To pay homage, Roe used primarily rattan and wicker in the debut Sharland England collection of furnishings, accessories, and decor. Natural materials, Roe explains, feel collected and lived-in, a staple of the English countryside aesthetic.
Become a collector
Roe found a vintage Welsh dresser at an antique shop through LoveAntiques.com, added hooks for hanging mugs and jugs, then filled it to the brim with her favorite China from brands like Ginori 1735, Popolo, Carolina Irving, Burleigh Pottery, and more.
“I used to collect shoes and now it’s plates,” says Roe. “The display adds color and texture, and I love showcasing pieces from different eras. Some cost less than $5, and others are $300. That’s the beauty of it. It’s the same way I’d set my table—with a mix.”
Lay a rug
“You almost never see a brand-new rug in an English countryside home,” Roe says. “Instead, they’re almost threadbare.”
Roe scours Etsy for vintage rugs, favoring Turkish vendors that ship for free, and then layers her purchases atop the made-to-look-original wooden floors throughout her home.
Mix and match
In an English-inspired interior, mixing and matching prints, patterns, and colors is paramount. To achieve the look, Roe first lands on a color palette, then ensures those hues are brought through each element within the space.
“A thread of color between patterns ensures nothing clashes,” says Roe. “In fact, everything should then work together quite nicely.”
