When the owner of this English country house put a reading nook on her renovation wishlist, she got one and a whole lot more.

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Expert Sarah Peake (founder of Studio Peake), who had worked on the family’s main home in London and was enlisted to create the ultimate weekend escape, went one step further and conceived an indulgent primary suite.

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Cue a dressing area, capacious bathroom, bedroom, and a serene reading nook overlooking the garden. ‘Generous’ is a word Sarah frequently comes back to when describing the new set-up, which is justified as there is no sense of this grown-up wing having been shoe-horned in.

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What makes the suite sing is the creation of lofty, pitched ceilings. When it became apparent that the entire house urgently needed re-roofing, Sarah took the opportunity to make a grandiose statement. “I stood in the space and I thought, ‘Well, why not?’” remembers the designer, who worked on the project for two years.

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It was a bright idea: the improved scale allowed for a few theatrical touches and an overall sense of airiness to prevail.

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The project: An Arts & Crafts style country home

The location: Surrey, England

The space: The primary suite

The client: A young family

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The biggest problem to solve

Certainly, the layout, because when I took on the project, the primary bedroom wasn't here and there was just a strange, poky bathroom where the reading area is now. A more open-plan layout was one option put forward by the project manager, but I thought it would feel more luxurious to designate specific areas. From the landing, you see straight through to the garden over the sofa, and the bedroom feels private because you can’t see into it. The bathroom has an element of surprise because it’s hidden behind two doors which look like closet panels.

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The item that started it all

The client drove past a bathroom showroom one day, saw the copper tub, and thought: ‘I want that bath!’ I like playing around with contrasts and the polished finish against the more traditional, hand-painted Pierre Frey wallpaper is lovely—it just cuts through it. I love copper as it patinates over time and works well with polished chrome fixtures.

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The most divisive feature

Some clients think I’m mad when I suggest a carpet for a bathroom, but for me, having grown up in the countryside, it feels nostalgic and cozy. The worst kind of carpet to have is a deep cut-pile, but this is a flat, woven herringbone that flows seamlessly from the bathroom through to the other rooms. It's quite an English thing to do, and it just felt right for this house.

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The feature that anchors the space

I spent a long time developing the yellow strié effect on the walls with specialist painter Sarah Patey (she spent hours and hours up on a ladder!). It’s the perfect shade—colorful and warm without being shouty and bright—and grounds the white used everywhere else. The client described it as ‘sunshine’.

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Something vintage

I sourced lots of vintage for this home but the armchair in the bedroom is my favorite. It’s a 19th-century, open-armed library chair that you can curl up on but doesn’t feel too big and blocky.

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The biggest learning

Quite late in the project, the clients requested AC in the bedroom. It can be tricky to conceal, but I came up with this trellis feature above the wardrobes that allows for airflow. It took a lot of working out, but in the end, it really adds something—I consider that a bit of a happy accident.

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The little detail with a big impact

I wanted to connect the dressing area to the bathroom and the little window up above the door was the perfect solution. The light from the hallway shines through it in the evenings. I researched lots of shapes—at one point it was going to be a round porthole—but this aligns nicely with the doors below. It draws the eye up.

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The splurge and steal in the space

The rattan pendant by Soane in the bathroom was quite the extravagance, but when there’s such a high-pitched ceiling, you need to hang something amazing. By contrast, the pendant by Normann Copenhagen in the reading room was a fraction of the price (though it did take the team hours to assemble as it comes flat-packed!)

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I really had to sell my clients on

There was real deliberation over the size of the ottoman in the bathroom. Everyone thought we should leave the floor open, but it’s an opportunity for a softer material and breaks up the vast floor plan. It’s also a surface to throw clothes on. I’m glad I pushed for it.

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The final vibe

Colorful, playful, considered.

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