Imagine someone with impeccable interior-design taste and an incredible eye for style dropped some LSD, got handed an open chequebook and went w-i-l-d. Lovers of a more-is-more approach to interior decorating will revel in the over-the-top textiles and once-in-a-lifetime holiday house surprises. Minimalists, look away now.
Wallpaper fetishists, prepare to be blown away by opulent, in-your-face prints. A monochrome hexagonal pattern in the dining room comes care of Paper Moon. The black-based bamboo and parrot print that regales all in the Pavillion room was custom-made by owner and designer Shaun Clarkson. That floor-to-ceiling banana-leaf festoon in the den? Especially negotiated through Beverly Hills Hotel in LA, no less – you won’t see that iconic print anywhere else. And the panels in the Chinoiserie bedroom? This showstopping wallpaper is Schumacher from the Silk Road Sojourn range. We daren't be as vulgar as to reveal how pricey it was, but let's just say it cost more than most hotels' whole decorating budgets.
Be assured: it's not just the colours, the carpets and the textiles which wow. This stylish self-catering stay is peppered with unique fleamarket finds as well as five-star hotel-style flourishes. There's nothing its fun-loving owners haven't thought of. How many country hideaways have a dressing-up room? Let alone a sound-proofed subterranean Leisure Lounge equipped with an arsenal of state-of-the-art audio-visuals that includes a karaoke machine, DJ decks and projector screen? Cue you living out your every Stars in their Eyes fantasy, obv. Seriously, the Carrington House crew has thought of everything. The only thing that's absent is Alexis Colby, aka Joan Collins, pitching up at cocktail hour.
And those who think guests should get out more will love the beach hut at Old Hunstanton. Mind you, even outdoor thrilseekers might find it hard to prise themselves from that hot tub hidden in the garden. Last one in's a wallflower...
Reviewed by Juliet Kinsman
