For many, perfect English campaign the house is both comfortable and eclectic. Annoushka Ducas, founder of luxury jewelry brands Links of London and Annoushkahad the same feeling after buying a historic house in West Sussex, almost 50 miles south of London.

Designer Ducas launched her business in the 1980s in London. Her mother had a business in London selling fish to restaurants, and one year Ducas was tasked with finding a holiday gift for the chefs her mother supplied. She then finds a goldsmith who designs cufflinks in the shape of a fish. After gifting cufflinks to each chef, she presented her additional samples to a buyer from luxury department store Harvey Nichols. The rest, they say, is history. In the 2000s, Ducas sold her successful business to Greek jewelry brand Folli Follie, and three years after the sale, she created her eponymous jewelry brand Annoushka, driven by a desire to find jewelry she loved and which she could not find on the market. walk.

As Ducas grew her business, the jewelry entrepreneur, her husband, John, and their four children moved to West Sussex, English campaign. The creative had a distinct vision for their historic Georgian mansion. To bring this vision to life, she called on London designer Juliette Byrne to re-envision the property with its singular modern taste, while paying homage to its rich past.

“Annoushka and her husband, John, decided to leave London and make the countryside their main residence and therefore invest in the restoration of the house,” says Juliette Byrne. Flight report. “She asked me to get involved in the improvements. I have a good knowledge of the restoration of listed buildings and I found the project exciting and very rewarding. We moved from room to room deciding what we needed to do to add the stylish features and architectural elements that had been removed or needed repair. We then began to realize that this was a long-term project rather than a short-term solution.

One look at the home and it is evident that an impeccable restoration has been implemented alongside carefully designed contemporary accessories and furniture. For example, the main living room was part of the original building, and Byrne and his team reinstated the delicate dentil moldings and restored the original fireplace to perfection.

When asked which room she is most proud of, Byrne says: “The drawing room is a stunning room, as it has all the scale and elegance of the original Georgian manor house, but we have given it a twist modern by adding a mix of antique items, like decorative cabinets. These time-honored features are complemented by large-format contemporary artwork, hues of brass and gold metal, and bright pops of color on the pillows and rug. Ducas was keen to incorporate antique art, furniture and decor, as his father was an avid collector, and many antiques are mixed with contemporary pieces for a beautiful duality.

“The interiors were done over a long period of time,” says Byrne. “It was a labor of love as each fabric was individually sourced, antiques were restored and numerous auctions were held to achieve the eclectic, elegant country style you are looking for. see today.

Other key rooms in the house include the library, which has antique oak paneled walls, a large fireplace and a bar area. One of the most used rooms in the house, the library is fitted with a sentimental painting of the owners’ children, low lamps and window cushions to conceal the radiators.

Byrne didn’t shy away from using color, inspired in part by Ducas’ love of precious and semi-precious stones as a jewelry designer. “We had a preference for strong, bold colors, especially in the dining room, used for formal dinners and large family gatherings,” she explains. “The walls are covered in elegant gold wallpaper and the room looks quite spectacular in the evening when the table is set for 25 dinner guests,” she says. Byrne also explains that Ducas’ parents, both of Russian descent, inspire much of his personal style and style. design taste; for the home, this meant including items such as antique mirrors, wall sconces, gilded furniture, aubergine taffeta curtains, velvet dining chairs and an antique Georgian mahogany dining table.

Although the house has a cohesive feel, it doesn’t feel sterile or monotonous from room to room, and no two rooms are the same as you walk through the house. The bright kitchen is both spacious and welcoming and forms the center of the home. Above a kitchen counter is a gallery wall depicting various painted fish, likely a tribute to Ducas’ mother. There’s a charming breakfast nook, custom shelves for books, and prep space for delicious meals that the family likely prepares for their loved ones. Upstairs are the four bedrooms, each with whimsical patterned wallpaper and large windows letting in plenty of natural light.

“Annoushka has enormous flair and style herself and loves patterns and colors,” Byrne says lovingly of their years-long collaboration. “Her husband has a large private collection of 20th century art, which we incorporated into the designs. It was a good idea from the start.

The home also features a backyard pool surrounded by a patio and well-maintained landscaping.

Click here for more photos of this Georgian country manor.