Chris Appleton Brings a Sensitive Eye for Color—and Frolicking Goats—to His Cotswolds Manor

After a decade in LA building his high-profile career, the hairstylist to Kim Kardashian and Martha Stewart purchased a storybook English country house to reconnect with his rootsChris Appleton and his goats in the entry hall—or, as he affectionately calls it, the “boot room”—of his 1760s manor house in the Cotswolds. The European oak cupboard, custom made by Moir Wade in London, holds pairs of wellies for guests along with wood for the fireplaces, which Appleton had restored. The interior design is by AD PRO Directory firm Canyon Creative Studio, and the art advisory and styling is by Anna Sheridan.The art of the quick change comes naturally to the British-born hairstylist Chris Appleton. For the 2022 Grammy Awards he transformed the musician Dua Lipa’s hair into a Donatella Versace blonde—a pitch-perfect creamy tone, executed in a marathon session that underscored his skill in creating newsflash moments. (See also: Kim Kardashian’s repeated flirtations with platinum hair and Martha Stewart’s recent pink-tinged look.) “I have a very particular eye,” says Appleton, referring to both his color sense and streamlined approach to living.For the English hairstylist Chris Appleton, his manor in the Cotswolds is a restorative counterweight to his life in California. The interior designer Kasandra Rafter, of Canyon Creative Studio, worked with a palette of neutrals that complements the stone façade. The soundtrack of church bells comes from the neighboring parish, which dates to the 12th century. A spray of roses greets guests at the door and the garden urns are planted with strawberries. The furniture in the front yard was sourced from Lorfords, an antiques emporium in Tetbury. Appleton moved to Los Angeles a decade ago in search of a blank slate—though it quickly became a very full one with red carpets, viral social posts, and hopscotching travel. Last summer the hairstylist came across photographs of a stately Georgian manor in the Cotswolds, a two-hour drive west of London. “It was like one of those houses I used to draw as a kid,” Appleton says of the rectilinear façade with tidy rows of windows. He booked a flight to tour the area with a real estate broker—one place after another, against a backdrop of characteristically gloomy weather—but his mind was already fixated on the 1760s estate. “I remember thinking to myself, If the sun comes out when I’m there, it’s a sign,” he says. The clouds parted, and the deal was done.The drawing room features a custom linen-covered sofa and a vintage armchair upholstered in shearling. “The fabrics I wanted to work with are very comfortable and welcoming,” says Appleton. Rafter had the RH coffee table stripped and treated with a whitewash finish to better fit the room’s neutral palette. House of Leon Papa Teddy ChairBelare Delamo VaseSoon after, the interior designer Kasandra Rafter, who runs the Los Angeles–based AD PRO Directory firm Canyon Creative Studio, got a call to pack her bags. She’d already worked with Appleton on his Spanish-style house in the Hollywood Hills. Now the two were off to England for a speedy immersion in country living. The hairstylist was hoping to host family by Christmas. They stayed at Estelle Manor (designed by AD100 firm Roman and Williams) in Oxfordshire, where the design skews in a “pattern-drenched, colorful direction,” says Rafter. Next they headed to Soho Farmhouse, with splashes of chintz and rough-hewn wood. From there the antiques shops in nearby Tetbury helped them pinpoint a stylistic vocabulary for the manor, where historical touches could filter through a pared-back palette. “We didn’t want it to feel like we were bringing LA to the English countryside,” Rafter says. When Appleton picked out a small oil painting with a gilt frame—not typically within his aesthetic—it was clear they were on their way.The Farrow & Ball paint color Oxford Stone, used on the entry walls and elsewhere in the home, plays off the original slab floors. The armchair and chandelier are by Soho Home, and the paintings and botanical studies were sourced locally in collaboration with the London-based stylist and art advisor Anna Sheridan. Soho Home Renato ChandelierSoho Home Theodore ArmchairThe first step was taking inventory: what should stay, and what needed reimagination? The previous owners’ blue kitchen would have to go, but Appleton and Rafter preserved the island’s stone top, the window shutters, and the black Aga stove—a staple of an English country house. In the once-pink primary bath, the clawfoot tub was a keeper. The drawing room’s original fluted columns and covelike bookcases were stripped and repainted in Farrow & Ball’s Oxford Stone. “We wanted the walls to have some depth of soul so that when we brought in antique pieces it made sense,” says Rafter.In another guest room, a Georgian-style bench draws the rectilinear firebox into conversation. This and the other vintage rugs in the house arrived via Canyon Creative Studio in LA. “To really look at color, we needed to see them in person,” says Rafter. Kathy Kuo Home Lucy Dining BenchMcGee & Co. Mays Table LampIn the breakfast area off the pantry, the banquette and stone flooring were already in place. “We kept things that made sense for the home,” says Rafter, who added caned chairs from Lorfords as a textural counterpoint. The table is custom by Moir Wade, the pendant is from Pottery Barn, and the window treatment is made with a Designers Guild fabric. Cassina Capitol Complex Office ChairVintage Chinese Song Ding Kiln Pumpkin Grain TeapotThe black Aga stove was a gem to discover in the manor. “It stays on consistently, so in the wintertime when we were there, everyone was in the kitchen because it was so nice and toasty,” Rafter says. The oak stools, covered in shearling, are by Canyon Creative Studio. Canyon Creative Shearling Counter StoolVintage W.And T. Avery ScaleGiven the restrained palette, the two leaned on texture. In Appleton’s bedroom, a muted Lewis & Wood floral wallpaper is paired with shearling-covered armchairs and a limestone side table. Exposed beams in the attic office play off a threadbare flatweave rug. For the stone-paved entry hall, or the “boot room,” Sheridan sourced a group of oil paintings and botanical studies while Rafter designed a custom-made European oak cabinet to hold baskets of firewood and tall wellies—enough for a rotating cast of family members to slip on when exploring the surrounding grounds.Vintage pendants hang over the kitchen island with a stone surface that was a holdover from the preexisting design; Rafter chose a similarly veined marble, Calacatta Gold, for the adjacent counter and backsplash. She traded out the room’s earlier blue color scheme for cream-toned cabinetry and open shelving. Rafter opened up the pantry with paned windows and a sliding door to bring in natural light. The glass jars and baskets are from John Lewis in London, and the marble surface is Calacatta Gold. Nickey Kehoe French Country Laundry BasketIKEA Korken Jar with LidIn a guest bedroom, Lewis & Wood’s Jasper Peony wallpaper brings the countryside indoors. An antique bench draws out the tones of the original wood floor, and the armchair is slipcovered in linen. Olive Ateliers Reclaimed Wood StoolJenni Kayne Miramar ChairThe clawfoot tub in the bathroom was a carryover from the previous owners. Life in LA is usually too hectic for a soak, but the country is another story. “It’s very peaceful and calming,” Appleton says. “You lay in the bath and listen to some classical music and drift away.” Amber Lewis Roberto End TablePottery Barn Sienna Outdoor Planterthe one with handlesA botanical Lewis & Wood wall covering called Indienne was an unexpected direction for Appleton’s bedroom, but he saw it as a way to give the space extra warmth. The spare four-poster bed was “my version of country,” he says. The armchairs are from 1stDibs, and the linens are from Bed Threads. Zara Tripod CandlesticksMaiden Home Dune Sofa“I didn’t want this big old house sitting there on its own,” says Appleton. His mother has an annex on the property, and his two children—Kitty, 21, and Bill, 23, now based in LA—have gained a foothold in their home country. “My brothers and dad love the pubs, and my nieces and nephews play with the goats,” he says of the property’s additions. In the end the storybook house got its Christmas debut, with neighboring church bells, sheep, and a nativity scene for revelers. Some of the furniture got snagged in delivery delays, but Appleton worked his usual magic. This time there was definitely room in the inn.Shaping the garden was a balance of subtraction and addition. “When we got our hands on the house, the entire landscape was overgrown—we didn’t even know there was a hidden bench,” says Rafter. “Now it’s the goats’ favorite place to hang out.” “I needed to bring a clean, modern feel to the pool,” says Rafter, who landed on a set of low-slung Granger chaises and chairs from Four Hands. Appleton may be English, but his swim persona is West Coast: The hairstylist has a cameo as himself in the upcoming Baywatch reboot on Fox. Amber Lewis x Four Hands Granger Accent ChairAmber Lewis x Four Hands Granger ChaiseNot a subscriber? Join AD for print and digital access now.Sign up for our daily newsletter to get the best of design in your inbox.