What do you think?
Rate this book
At Home in the Cotswolds: Secrets of English Country House Style
Property expert Katy Campbell and acclaimed photographer Mark Nicholson offer an insider’s look at the Cotswolds’ most charming and inspirational private homes.
Foreword by the Duchess of Marlborough
At Home in the Cotswolds is a celebration of beautiful Cotswold houses and their interiors. Katy and Mark take us on a tour of the villages and rolling hills of the Cotswolds as they uncover some of the most charming and inspirational homes in the a chocolate box cottage, an exquisite old rectory, a Georgian farmhouse, a quintessential manor house, an historic stately home, and more. Home to artists, writers, rock stars, and royalty—and featured in popular TV shows and films such as Bridget Jones’s Diary , Downton Abbey , and Pride and Prejudice —the cottages and grand houses of the Cotswolds have captured the imagination of people around the world.
The featured homes, along with their adjacent gardens, were chosen not only for their architectural beauty but for their stunning interiors, which range in style from classical English country retreat to chic contemporary dwelling. Each house, and the interior design of its rooms, reflects the charm and character of its owners—and comes with its own unique and intriguing story. With the homes’ idyllic settings, this collection presents inspirational ideals of English country style certain to fascinate and delight.
Foreword by the Duchess of Marlborough
At Home in the Cotswolds is a celebration of beautiful Cotswold houses and their interiors. Katy and Mark take us on a tour of the villages and rolling hills of the Cotswolds as they uncover some of the most charming and inspirational homes in the a chocolate box cottage, an exquisite old rectory, a Georgian farmhouse, a quintessential manor house, an historic stately home, and more. Home to artists, writers, rock stars, and royalty—and featured in popular TV shows and films such as Bridget Jones’s Diary , Downton Abbey , and Pride and Prejudice —the cottages and grand houses of the Cotswolds have captured the imagination of people around the world.
The featured homes, along with their adjacent gardens, were chosen not only for their architectural beauty but for their stunning interiors, which range in style from classical English country retreat to chic contemporary dwelling. Each house, and the interior design of its rooms, reflects the charm and character of its owners—and comes with its own unique and intriguing story. With the homes’ idyllic settings, this collection presents inspirational ideals of English country style certain to fascinate and delight.
240 pages, Hardcover
Published November 15, 2022
15 people are currently reading
91 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
December 18, 2024
Well, of course I had to follow up my last read with the author's other book. And now, I'm ready to move to the Cotswolds...or, at least visit.
August 7, 2025
I'm not typically a home-design book person, but I was flipping through a few digital home books for ideas and came across this one. Obviously, I'm not exactly the sort of person who should be taking home advice from the Cotswolds. As the Duchess of Marlborough explains herself, one of the building featured is the only non-religious or royal building that can be called a palace in all of Britain. So there's that.
Anyway, getting into it, we start with some lovely photos and section the book into several houses. Here are my thoughts on each:
The Manor House:
Super old and objectively beautiful. The kitchen has a weird light that caused the family uncertainty until a magazine said it was futuristic and then they loved it. Nice, cozy living room with a pretty mantlepiece and fun mismatched chairs. Also a cozy red study, slightly too bright in the pics. The main bedroom looks like a hotel with no evidence people with personalities live there. Bathroom looks slippery. I like the changing room hidden in the hedges, very creative.
The Thatched Cottage:
Built in the early 16th century, but given an interior like a modern new build. I was super disappointed with how this whimsical home looks like on the inside. The owner, Bee, really wants to be a designer, and tries her best to have a hand in everything. Unfortunately, she erases much of the old charm and turns it into a dull beige and white house. All the furniture is designed by her as well, which sounds nice, but mostly results in dystopian grey and brown shapeless pieces like her big woven lamp and boring upholstered chairs. The only cool spots are the things she can't cover with overpriced white paint, like the fireplace with the shepherd's seat. Speaking of white paint, supposedly she mixed the white paint herself, but like what does that mean? Did she choose a dot of Ochre Yellow in a 5 gallon of white and call it a day? I just can't imagine Bee working the old press and loading the paint in the shaker. And the whole rooms covered in floor texture? The ceiling too? But nothing quite compares to the Love Shack. No, it's not what you think. It's quite sweet, meant for her youngest daughter to hang out with her friends. But it's beige and brown and has huge tin letters that spell out LOVE. And it's called....that.
The Columbarium:
Originally meant to house doves and pigeons in the 1400s, now holds a little family. Right off the bat, I kinda like it. It looks like people actually live here. Not necessarily my style, but more so than the last two. The Card Room Green paint from Farrow and Ball compliments the flower room really well. The stairwell is beautiful, but for some reason it reminds me of a nightmare I had once. The paintings compliment it well. Some parts of the house are a bit "grandma-y", but it's fine. The dormitory is kind of fun, but it could be improved with a little more design and more kid stuff.
The Mason's Home:
Ugly living room. Okay dining room. Nicolas Haslam must be some famous fabric designer, because this is the second time his name has come up. Barren, sad little office. The nursery floor has a cute entrance, but the rooms are boring. We can't have a single poster of Olivia Rodrigo?? The room banister in the stairs looks crazy. Does that actually work at all? The bedroom is sad and empty. More Farrow and Ball.
The Old Rectory:
Old church house from the 1780s. They have a pool. Weird pink and green dining room. Sorta bland living room in light blue. Lovely pretty living room in green. Nice green bedroom. Giant marble blue/black tub is cool. The daughter has kind of a boring room with too much detail, but the room that used to be a hayloft looks cozy.
The Hovel:
Beautiful outside, way better than the name describes. Maybe it's the overly bright lighting, but the book room is not as cozy as it should be. The upholstery is nice. Lots of dizzying patterns.
The High House:
Cute! The little prints neatly spaced are nice, the walls are pretty and not boring beige. The chicken themed bathroom is fun, especially the way they decorated the wall with little prints again. There's a little too much wallpaper and curtains, but overall the place is nice and actually looks like people live there. Pink bathtub is awesome. But the best part is the Shepherd's Hut, which looks a little like a mobile home from the outside, but is like a tiny house inside. There's a bathtub hidden behind the bed headboard. The red bookcase with China pots and a piano look nice together.
The Farmworker's Cottage:
Alexandra has kept the lovely old-fashioned look of her cottage. She's the only one who gets it. If you live in a beautiful cottage, you should let it look like an actual cottage. It's cozy and pretty and simple. She uses antique furniture and vintage quilts to make her space look quaint. Very good.
The Arts and Craft House:
Immediately love the outside. When I think English countryside, this is what I'm talking about. A pond with a willow, a flagstone hall. A house that retains its rustic quality while getting a fresh coat of paint. The bare white walls of the upstairs look like a prison though.
The Dovecote:
Another pigeon house. This looks like someone lives there. All the paintings around the bathtub look fantastic. The library with a hidden bathroom is genius. It's just nice and warm in here.
The Georgian Farmhouse:
Dated, but cozy living room. I think they have a super low TV hidden behind their table. The bathroom is airy and pretty. It kinda feels like I walked into someone's parent's house in the bedroom, where it's moderately lived in, but clean in weird way. Guest cottage has a big boat model, which I enjoy.
The Village House:
The collective urn out back is pretty funny. I like the fall colors and the reading nook. I do find it weird that they got a dog that matched the house, but it's a cute Weimaraner. There's actually details of their life here, like Tabasco sauce in the kitchen and books by the bed.
The Hotchpotch:
Weird art, but not bad. Crazy beam ceiling. Green. Blurry cat in the background. No idea how you use that bathroom without soaking the floor.
Cottage Industry:
Blue tin shed is cool. Vaguely Texas-themed inside. Cozy cottage with shaped walls.
The Stately Home:
Looks like a museum from the outside. Very classy, fancy house. Kinda looks like a 1700s gentleman lives here. Would be disappointing to visit and find a man in jeans. This is what I'm talking about. This is the Cotswolds.
Paradise:
Lovely outside. Inside looks a bit crowded. Mixing modern and old in a weird way. Deconstructed Mickey Mouse painting. Bathtub in the bedroom with cold marble floor.
At the end they show all the homeowners, and it's pretty much exactly who you would expect to live there, although the Stately Home guys are not dressed nearly fancy enough for their house.
Anyway, getting into it, we start with some lovely photos and section the book into several houses. Here are my thoughts on each:
The Manor House:
Super old and objectively beautiful. The kitchen has a weird light that caused the family uncertainty until a magazine said it was futuristic and then they loved it. Nice, cozy living room with a pretty mantlepiece and fun mismatched chairs. Also a cozy red study, slightly too bright in the pics. The main bedroom looks like a hotel with no evidence people with personalities live there. Bathroom looks slippery. I like the changing room hidden in the hedges, very creative.
The Thatched Cottage:
Built in the early 16th century, but given an interior like a modern new build. I was super disappointed with how this whimsical home looks like on the inside. The owner, Bee, really wants to be a designer, and tries her best to have a hand in everything. Unfortunately, she erases much of the old charm and turns it into a dull beige and white house. All the furniture is designed by her as well, which sounds nice, but mostly results in dystopian grey and brown shapeless pieces like her big woven lamp and boring upholstered chairs. The only cool spots are the things she can't cover with overpriced white paint, like the fireplace with the shepherd's seat. Speaking of white paint, supposedly she mixed the white paint herself, but like what does that mean? Did she choose a dot of Ochre Yellow in a 5 gallon of white and call it a day? I just can't imagine Bee working the old press and loading the paint in the shaker. And the whole rooms covered in floor texture? The ceiling too? But nothing quite compares to the Love Shack. No, it's not what you think. It's quite sweet, meant for her youngest daughter to hang out with her friends. But it's beige and brown and has huge tin letters that spell out LOVE. And it's called....that.
The Columbarium:
Originally meant to house doves and pigeons in the 1400s, now holds a little family. Right off the bat, I kinda like it. It looks like people actually live here. Not necessarily my style, but more so than the last two. The Card Room Green paint from Farrow and Ball compliments the flower room really well. The stairwell is beautiful, but for some reason it reminds me of a nightmare I had once. The paintings compliment it well. Some parts of the house are a bit "grandma-y", but it's fine. The dormitory is kind of fun, but it could be improved with a little more design and more kid stuff.
The Mason's Home:
Ugly living room. Okay dining room. Nicolas Haslam must be some famous fabric designer, because this is the second time his name has come up. Barren, sad little office. The nursery floor has a cute entrance, but the rooms are boring. We can't have a single poster of Olivia Rodrigo?? The room banister in the stairs looks crazy. Does that actually work at all? The bedroom is sad and empty. More Farrow and Ball.
The Old Rectory:
Old church house from the 1780s. They have a pool. Weird pink and green dining room. Sorta bland living room in light blue. Lovely pretty living room in green. Nice green bedroom. Giant marble blue/black tub is cool. The daughter has kind of a boring room with too much detail, but the room that used to be a hayloft looks cozy.
The Hovel:
Beautiful outside, way better than the name describes. Maybe it's the overly bright lighting, but the book room is not as cozy as it should be. The upholstery is nice. Lots of dizzying patterns.
The High House:
Cute! The little prints neatly spaced are nice, the walls are pretty and not boring beige. The chicken themed bathroom is fun, especially the way they decorated the wall with little prints again. There's a little too much wallpaper and curtains, but overall the place is nice and actually looks like people live there. Pink bathtub is awesome. But the best part is the Shepherd's Hut, which looks a little like a mobile home from the outside, but is like a tiny house inside. There's a bathtub hidden behind the bed headboard. The red bookcase with China pots and a piano look nice together.
The Farmworker's Cottage:
Alexandra has kept the lovely old-fashioned look of her cottage. She's the only one who gets it. If you live in a beautiful cottage, you should let it look like an actual cottage. It's cozy and pretty and simple. She uses antique furniture and vintage quilts to make her space look quaint. Very good.
The Arts and Craft House:
Immediately love the outside. When I think English countryside, this is what I'm talking about. A pond with a willow, a flagstone hall. A house that retains its rustic quality while getting a fresh coat of paint. The bare white walls of the upstairs look like a prison though.
The Dovecote:
Another pigeon house. This looks like someone lives there. All the paintings around the bathtub look fantastic. The library with a hidden bathroom is genius. It's just nice and warm in here.
The Georgian Farmhouse:
Dated, but cozy living room. I think they have a super low TV hidden behind their table. The bathroom is airy and pretty. It kinda feels like I walked into someone's parent's house in the bedroom, where it's moderately lived in, but clean in weird way. Guest cottage has a big boat model, which I enjoy.
The Village House:
The collective urn out back is pretty funny. I like the fall colors and the reading nook. I do find it weird that they got a dog that matched the house, but it's a cute Weimaraner. There's actually details of their life here, like Tabasco sauce in the kitchen and books by the bed.
The Hotchpotch:
Weird art, but not bad. Crazy beam ceiling. Green. Blurry cat in the background. No idea how you use that bathroom without soaking the floor.
Cottage Industry:
Blue tin shed is cool. Vaguely Texas-themed inside. Cozy cottage with shaped walls.
The Stately Home:
Looks like a museum from the outside. Very classy, fancy house. Kinda looks like a 1700s gentleman lives here. Would be disappointing to visit and find a man in jeans. This is what I'm talking about. This is the Cotswolds.
Paradise:
Lovely outside. Inside looks a bit crowded. Mixing modern and old in a weird way. Deconstructed Mickey Mouse painting. Bathtub in the bedroom with cold marble floor.
At the end they show all the homeowners, and it's pretty much exactly who you would expect to live there, although the Stately Home guys are not dressed nearly fancy enough for their house.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
August 13, 2024I would love to see all the old houses throughout Cotswolds, like quaint cottages with thatched roofs and the big old manor homes. According to this book though only rich people live Cotswolds in million dollar homes and cottages with the usual overpriced interiors. Do these authors not understand that we don't always want to look at homes of rich people. I get tired of these authors gushing over how expensive all their furniture and stuff is, that I'm surprised that these authors don't include a price list.
September 25, 2025
This book features individual houses and pictures of the English countryside.
So many interior designers or people adjacent to interior design (home furnishing / hoteliers / property management). Mostly, I looked at the pictures and thought (1) how are all these dusted and kept clean? Pictures on the wall gather dust, surely? (2) so many bath tubs (not water efficient).
It’s an interesting look into how some people live (are they all rich by British standards? Some obviously are). And the views from the property / pictures of the garden are fantastic.
So many interior designers or people adjacent to interior design (home furnishing / hoteliers / property management). Mostly, I looked at the pictures and thought (1) how are all these dusted and kept clean? Pictures on the wall gather dust, surely? (2) so many bath tubs (not water efficient).
It’s an interesting look into how some people live (are they all rich by British standards? Some obviously are). And the views from the property / pictures of the garden are fantastic.
December 18, 2022
Just wonderful
I have stayed in the Cotswolds in a rented house and visited some of their wonderful gardens. It is a lovely part of the world and a very easy place to be. It's a bit of a step into the past, a slower pace, kind of place. Photos are wonderful and the text very interesting.
I have stayed in the Cotswolds in a rented house and visited some of their wonderful gardens. It is a lovely part of the world and a very easy place to be. It's a bit of a step into the past, a slower pace, kind of place. Photos are wonderful and the text very interesting.
June 28, 2023
Thoroughly enjoyable imaginary visit to the Cotswolds of one’s dreams. A privileged fantasy, but the owners interviewed all
seemed to be genuinely happy and grateful to be living their best British lives. Lovely photos and recommended to anglophiles and fans of traditional English decorating.
seemed to be genuinely happy and grateful to be living their best British lives. Lovely photos and recommended to anglophiles and fans of traditional English decorating.
July 31, 2023
Lovely gardens, exteriors and interiors of some Cotswold Homes and estates. Interesting to see the modernization of the interiors.
January 5, 2025
Gorgeous pictures and interesting stories of the people who live in these grand English homes. Total eye candy!
March 18, 2025
I read this book before a May trip to London and thoroughly enjoyed seeing the country homes and gardens of the Cotswolds. It was like reading a very large design magazine cover to cover.
August 24, 2025
Beautiful!
April 6, 2023
Beautiful book, full of great houses and their stories. I really enjoyed this one. Most of the owners were at least familiar to me, but I learned something new about even houses I thought I had already heard.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews