Six appleyard creake abbey: interiors inspiration

Six Appleyard Creake Abbey is the second salon from the North Norfolk group, located in the picturesque grounds of Creake Abbey. Joining an organic cafe and local seasonal food hall in the grounds of a ruined 14th century Augustinian abbey, Six Appleyard is housed in a former cowshed in an open courtyard overlooking grassland and lakes. Although the property was in a desperate state of disrepair, it only took eight weeks for owners Samantha Ashby and Christopher Graham to transform the space into the elegant salon it is today. A cowshed isn't necessarily the most inviting of spaces, so what attracted Samantha and Christopher to this spot?

Creake Abbey is a magnet for affluent business professionals, farmers, landowners and people that have second homes nearby so we felt the clientele was right and we knew that the area was lacking a good salon," says Samantha. "The premises also reflect the local character and history and are bursting with features that we were keen to preserve and build into our design."

Inspiration came both from the local rural landscape and character of the premises, with a rustic, rugged charm updated with a few modern touches to avoid the interior feeling too cliché.

"The décor was built around the original stone walling and features to retain the authentic character of the building and the area. Everything centred from that, so the flooring was sourced to complement the colour and the fittings were chosen to mirror the history; they’re kind of quirky and unique but also relevant to the building’s agricultural and industrial heritage," says Samantha.

Styling stations come courtesy of Takara Belmont, with Cadilla chairs providing the perfect minimalist option to show off the building's original features. A customised pale grey and white colour scheme ensures the chairs match the salon décor, while matching Takara Belmont Cadilla backwash units allow for a streamline feel throughout the salon. TOP TIPS

• Speak to the landlord about your intentions and, if you are doing things that improve the structure of their building, negotiate a contribution to some of the costs;

• Research the local area before you commit to a building so you know the local clientele, the local market and the business potential;

• Plan! Make sure your plans are solid and well thought out with every foreseen and unforeseen eventuality considered as much as possible;

• Trust your instincts – if everything feels right, it probably is. You can always find reasons not to do something but if you’ve done your homework and instinctively it feels right, trust yourself and go for it!

• Plan for contingencies. Always allow more budget to allow for the unexpected. As much as you can plan, most things always run over time and over budget, so assume this will be the case.

Six Appleyard Creake Abbey

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