Dinder House near the village of Dinder, Somerset is a Georgian picture book house built by the Rev. William Somerville in 1801. This listed building, set in 23 acres of walled garden, typifies the best of the buildings of its era. After being used for commercial purposes for several years, it was purchased by Chris and Jo Mycock, a young couple and owners of an IT company and lovingly restored as a family home for themselves and their children by London designer Ilse Crawford.
This down to earth family specified that the 3 storey house should, above all, be comfortable and practical without losing the spirit and elegance of the structure. The designer suggested utilizing the huge ballroom as the kitchen, allowing the family to enjoy one of the most spacious rooms on a daily basis. Rather than make structural changes, the conversion began by placing a marble block as a work area and adding a modern dining table designed by Crawford’s office. Rody Grauman’s famed hanging light for Droog, an antique Georgian mirror and a custom made cabinet by Studio Job, complete the eclectic style of the space.
The theme of reallocation is continued throughout the house with the Drawing room and its hand blocked Zuber wallpaper from Paris, Venini chandeliers and George Smith sofa housing a ping pong table. The basement contains a dream play room, and many of the first floor guest rooms have been converted to bathrooms. The convergence of old and new, the best of antique and modern has resulted in a warm welcoming home, for this young modern family of 6.
