The bedrooms in the house have all been treated very differently. Here, the white panels of the walls and wardrobe have been outlined in a blue wash, while the French doors, which were added by the McDonnells when all the windows were enlarged in 1974, allow sunlight to stream in across the floorboards.

The Murlo Estate in Umbria, Italy Photo by @tenutadimurlo

The Coles wallpaper in the main bedroom was especially designed and printed to echo the delicate pattern on pieces of Angouleme china displayed on the mantelpiece. These pieces were made to commemorate the birth of the Duc d'Angouleme at Versailles; he was later to marry Marie Antoinette's daughter.

The dining room departs from continuous pattern; its walls, finished with ocher-colored lime, have a medieval quality.