At home with Ruth Crilly

Right from the beginning, this seventies Somerset property was one that felt just like home to Ruth and her husband, Richard.

Its location, meanwhile, was nothing short of idyllic – perched on a hillside surrounded by lush English countryside.

As for its potential? Well, according to Ruth, it was practically palpable.

We spent some time at the family’s home to find out more about the renovation project that ensued.

Watch our interview with Ruth above or keep scrolling for the highlights.

It was all about bringing in more light, framing the views and just having a sense of cohesion with the materials and textures we were using.

'We wanted it to have that really cool seventies vibe that’s very welcoming. Even though there are quite big spaces and huge expanses of glass, it feels quite cocooning.

'If you’ve got amazing quality in the things you touch a lot – like light fittings, door handles, light switches, outlets – they’ll really elevate the design of a space.

'I wanted everything to be of the finest quality, but also beautifully designed, so that when you do look at a slice of wall that’s got a light, a chair and a cushion, the light switch sings out as a design feature as much as everything else in the frame.'

‘All the Corston products I’ve chosen have been in the Bronze. I just think it’s so classic and fits every single type of interior. I love the fact that it’s almost black, but in certain lights, you can see the metallic element of it.’

‘The rocker switches are amazing, because they’re oversized which I love, and I’ve not seen that anywhere else. It feels really – I want to say retro – but it’s not, it’s almost futuristic.’

‘Details are almost the most important thing to me. I like every single thing to be something you want to look at, not something you want to hide away.’

‘I’m not really into trends. I think the best interiors you see are when people have things that they treasure; houses have to essentially be you and what you love.

‘We wanted the same type, depth and tone of wood running throughout the house. And it’s the same with the fittings. We’ve got the Bronze light switches and outlets, and I like the fact that you see that detail running throughout the whole house.

‘When you’ve got those things that tie it all together, it makes things a lot more cohesive and creates a more relaxing environment.’ 

Published on 17th April 2025