Former antiques shop with fantastical interiors for sale in Wiltshire
This former antiques shop in Wiltshire provides a colourful contrast to its early 18th-century walls.
The six-bedroom house — formally named Albion House — is believed to date between 1720 and 1740. It was the village post office for most of the 20th century before being used as an antiques store.
Adam Calkin, a decorative artist and designer, purchased the property in the pretty village of Atworth three decades ago. It was a blank canvas lacking a bathroom and kitchen but has been transformed into a treasure trove for vintage finds.
Spread across three floors, the house is stamped with Adam's fantastical, quirky design signatures. 'Every room was a showroom, basically. A lot of the walls were just bare ashlar stone,' Adam told The Times. 'We made it habitable to start with and decorated room by room.'
Features include a formal entrance hall with Chinese characters painted on the staircase (inspired by takeaway menus), original fireplaces, flagstone flooring, exposed stone walls, Ca'Pietra ceramic black star tiles in the kitchen, and an antique wooden chair which conceals a toilet in one bathroom (below).
The ground floor comprises four reception rooms, a colourful kitchen/diner, characterful living room with French doors that open out to the gardens, a cosy snug, and a large office that's perfect for remote workers. As for the design, Adam says: 'There is no theme. Every room was a chance to do a different sort of style.'
The bedrooms on the first and second floors are a real highlight. A particular favourite of ours is the hidden bedroom (accessed through wardrobe-like doors) featuring a mural of seagulls flying across a cloudy sky on the beamed ceiling. 'That was inspired by The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,' says Adam.
There are five further bedrooms, each with their own personal charm, the family bathroom, and a large landing. Every bedroom features wooden flooring, adding to the property's rustic appeal.
'Apart from [my] decorative touches, Albion House is composed of a few different [architectural] styles. It used to be a barn and the landings and the common parts are spacious. It's got big doors on the first floor for warehousing and a pitched roof in the principal bedroom. We put in some French doors and round windows,' Adam says.
Albion House has been featured in magazines and design books over the years, including English Eccentric by Ros Byam Shaw.
Francesca Leighton-Scott, partner and head of Bath & Somerset country sales at Knight Frank, says: 'Coming to the market for the first time in almost 30 years, Albion House is a beautifully unique family home, believed to date back to between 1720 and 1740. As such, it oozes character throughout, yet benefits from not being listed.'
This property is for sale with Knight Frank for £895,000.
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