We caught up with Jo Berryman, Interior Designer and host of The Somerleaze Residence in Somerset, England to ask her about traveling with children and decorating a family home.
Are you headed anywhere special in the next year? Will you take the kids?
Yes we’re planning a Sri Lanka getaway. Waterfalls and tea plantation in Kandy, rounded off with some surfing in Weligama
Do you ever involve your kids in your trip planning?
Always. Ours span quite a broad age spectrum from 16 to 1.5 years old. As long as Nico (our 16 year old) can find a cool shop or gallery, Romy (the 8 year old) can play tennis and Elijah (the 1.5 year old) has enough space to be as free range as possible, then all is well.
What is it you hope your kids will learn or gain through travel?
An expansive view of the world and an appreciation of different cultures. We love to broaden their taste palette – the kids are into exotic flavors and spicy foods.
How do you think travel changes or impacts your children?
Travel leaves lasting imprints. My girls are very artistic. Nico loves to take photographs and Romy journals and illustrates. We encourage them to document their travels and bring sketchpads, pencils, and a film camera wherever we go. I traveled extensively around South East Asia as a child and have such a visceral response to flavors, smells, sounds, and textures reminiscent of those climes. Much of this informs my design today, certainly from a color perspective.
In your opinion, what are the components of a great vacation or holiday with kids?
It’s all about being prepared with a few surprises thrown in. I love a planned family adventure like a safari, an island retreat, or an immersive art experience. Nothing beats the unexpected joy one yields from letting the kids take the reins. A “Yes” day of sorts. It’s also important to limit screen time collectively, it takes a few days but so worth the struggle. You feel genuinely nourished and restored by the end of the holiday.
What makes your home particularly kid or family-friendly?
A heated pool, safely tucked away within the gated walled garden, land to roam, a river walk, a trampoline, a well stocked children’s library, a playroom with a ceiling trapeze and a gigantic telly. We’re also so close to Longleat Safari Park, Cley Hill, Cheddar Gorge, and a stone’s throw away from Frome.
What was your inspiration when designing your home?
We celebrate the Victorian bones, yet bring in modernity, art, and playfulness. The house is designed for family and communion. Enjoy long luncheons with a view in the open-plan kitchen or sundowners on the terrace. The manicured lawn morphs into an epic 5 aside football pitch and the house is enough of a warren for a thrilling game of hide and seek. We’re big on fitness and functional movement as a family so the barefoot gym next to the kitchen is as convenient as it gets.
Any mementos or souvenirs from your travels that are featured in your house?
We’re big on art and arrestingly beautiful objects. A favorite piece is a Cerulean blue portrait of a lady picked up at a yard sale off Abbot Kinney in Venice, California. Hangs pride of place in the playroom.
What should we pack to spend the weekend at your home?
Wellies, waterproofs, gym gear, swimsuit, and a good camera.
Any other thoughts?
Our home is especially glorious over Christmas and New Year. We can decorate a tree and stock the fridge with provisions. There’s many a quiet nook to get lost in a book or nap in front of a roaring fire. The sprawling kitchen is the perfect place to host large family reunions. There’s enough space to be had together and enough for solitude should the festive din get too much.
Follow @JoBerrymanStudio for more tips on interiors, art and life in the English countryside or book The Somerleaze Residence for your next family vacation.
- https://www.kidandcoe.com/destinations/somerset/the-somerleaze-residence
- https://www.kidandcoe.com/destinations/the-cotswolds/the-old-vicarage
- https://www.kidandcoe.com/destinations/suffolk/the-brook-farm-residence
