Old english home

A refined and historic mansion in the pastoral English countryside that is tied to British—and Hollywood—royalty has just hit the market for £13.5 million (US$17.7 million). The more than 300-year-old home is in Hampshire—an area also known as Jane Austen’s County for being the author’s beloved home for much of her life—is known as Shawford Park and the manor is thought to date to 1685.

From one point of view, the love affair with old rectories is bewildering. After all, this type of house, built several centuries ago for a clergyman and his family, may not be the grandest property in the town or village, despite its gracious dimensions. Nevertheless, rectories seem to connect

If I lived here, I would love driving down that driveway everyday. Isn't the house pretty? It is so stately and gorgeous, without being overly pretentious.

The Suffolk property, asking £19 million, includes a main house that dates to around 1560

A new book by designer David Mlinaric and photographer Derry Moore covers the history of English interior design from the sixteenth century to the present day, lingering on some of the great houses in the UK, from Chatsworth to Charleston.

How posh is your house?

Bungalows, Tudors, and Foursquares date to the electric era, after all, so lighting is integral to the Arts & Crafts interior. Craftsman lighting adds immeasurably to the mood.