Spinocchia Freund

London-based interior designer Brigitta Spinocchia Freund has a penchant for classic modern furnishings and exquisite artisanal details. Both are on display in this refreshingly unconventional contemporary country house in the rolling hills of Oxfordshire. Her clients, well-traveled design collectors, wanted a retreat that recalls the mid-century-modern homes of Frank Lloyd Wright and John Lautner while generating a vibe that’s all about “gathering with friends.” Rather than use wood paneling in the study, which doubles as a screening room, Spinocchia Freund created a warm, embracing space by lining the back wall with a faux-burl-wood wallpaper and then shellacking it, producing a deep-layered patina that shifts in tone with the time of day. A pair of Utrecht chairs by Gerrit Rietveld, upholstered in vibrant red and apricot-hued wool, give structure to the room and an acid edge to the jewel-toned palette. “Together with the Frank Gehry Wiggle stool, they create a unique spatial design,” says Spinocchia Freund, “which speaks to the client and the building.”