How this 17th century pub became a stylish and cozy home

Unless you’re up for a renovation challenge, it’s unlikely you’ve given this run-down 17th-century pub a second look. However, for Alastair Humphries it was perfect.

He and his partner Carlo were about to move to the US, but a change of plans meant they were house hunting in Dorset, and their search had to take two important factors into account: their Weimaraners Guthrie and Billy. “We wanted to rent somewhere before buying but couldn’t find a place that would allow two large dogs,” says Alastair. “Then we heard about the old coaching inn in Shaftesbury.”

(Image credit: Darren Chung)

The last orders had been received about three years earlier, and the city’s oldest pub had been empty ever since. “The landlord didn’t mind the dogs and said we were welcome to take a look, but warned us that it was in real condition,” says Alastair.

“I opened the door and saw woodchip wallpaper and nicotine-stained ceilings everywhere, and the walls were a mix of neons, oranges and purples. But instead of being put off, I was actually pretty inspired to start renovating.”

As an interior designer, Alastair knew the old pub could be a special home. But it would take a lot of work. “I told the landlord that I wanted a long-term lease if I was going to spend so much time and effort making it a comfortable place for us,” says Alastair. The transformation could begin with the agreement on a long-term rental.

Living room transformation

View of a neutral sofa with mixed cushions and a window behind it in the living room of an old country house

(Image credit: Darren Chung)

Starting in the main living space – the pub’s snooker room – Alastair set about cutting away the wood chips and was delighted to find original features underneath.

He covered and reinstalled the window sills and fireplace. He tore down the plaster to reveal the old masonry cladding before adding a wood-burning stove with a simple mantel above.

He covered the drab brickwork with tongue-and-groove siding and painted it a warm shade of white.

Country living room with brick fireplace with wood burning stove, tongue and groove, neutral sofa with mixed cushions

(Image credit: Darren Chung)

“For a property like this, where there’s a lot to do and everything feels a bit overwhelming, it’s good to start by decorating with neutral wall paint and carpets before adding more decorative elements,” says Alistair. “I knew it would look good in the end.”

Once he was happy with the basic framework of the main living and dining area, he began assembling the furniture and fixtures. Two used sofas were reupholstered and placed in front of the fireplace, creating the perfect country-style living room.

Freestanding kitchen design

Freestanding kitchen with an old butcher block serving as a kitchen island and various upcycled vintage cabinets

(Image credit: Darren Chung)

The pub’s old catering kitchen was immediately attractive to Alastair, a former restaurateur who has designed and equipped his own four restaurants from scratch.

“It was so spacious and, as I’m not a fan of fitted kitchens, I liked the option of incorporating freestanding units to complement the existing cupboards,” he says.

In his freestanding kitchen design, an old butcher’s block was the perfect bespoke centrepiece, “a nod to an island but more rustic,” explains Alistair. A local blacksmith made a frame for support, and a carpenter built the lower slatted shelf.

Alistair’s mix of vintage cabinets and dressers – including an old metal mechanic’s cart and an American cabinet once used to cool cakes – give the kitchen a French country style and provide additional storage space for kitchenware. Whenever something catches his eye, he adds more pieces.

The wall is painted in Blue Verditer by Little Greene.

Sink area with sink rim in a utility room in an old country house

(Image credit: Darren Chung)

The back kitchen of the former pub has been converted into Alastair’s practical but beautiful utility room. Cabinet curtains in a traditional blue and white ticking fabric by Ian Mankin hide the appliances beneath the countertop. The sink surround provides display space for Alastair’s collection of vintage kitchenware.

Bold color choices

Room with dark green walls and woodwork, old wing chair, patterned door curtain and antique carpet

(Image credit: Darren Chung)

With its dark green walls – Edward Bulmer’s Fine Green tone – the study at the back of the house resembles an old mansion library.

The curtains are vintage Liberty curtains with green damask trim, and a vintage wingback chair has been reupholstered in Irish tweed.

English country house style

Country-house style bedroom with wrought iron bed frame, patterned wallpaper and bedspread, and windowsill

(Image credit: Darren Chung)

While the ground floor has a rustic French look, upstairs Alastair takes inspiration from a more traditional English country style. Heavier floral prints, iron bed frames and pretty nightstands set the tone in the bedrooms.

Alastair chose Lucie Annabel bedroom wallpaper – Tulip Garden in Sweet Pink and Olive – to create a feature wall behind the bed in the guest room.

He found the cast iron bed frame at a brocante in Brittany. The paisley bedspread comes from Cologne & Cotton.

Country house bedroom with yellow walls, antique desk and wrought iron bed, toile curtains and taxidermied duck

(Image credit: Darren Chung)

The sun always shines in the cheerful master bedroom with windows on two sides and dusty yellow walls in Hay by Farrow & Ball. Alastair chose a deep pink Toile de Jouy or the curtains and an antique Turkish rug adds more pattern. On display in the window seat is a taxidermied duck found at the Ardingly Antiques Fair.

Bathroom renovation

Traditional bathroom with white plumbing fixtures and white subway tiles and vintage green metal locker

(Image credit: Darren Chung)

Alastair enjoys putting unexpected twists on traditional style. While the bathroom has classic white fittings and tiles and is brightened up by a Roman blind, a green metal locker gives a touch of industrial style.

He managed to breathe new life into empty rooms and give this historic property a new chapter as a characterful home.

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