A visit to Blackwell, Windermere - designed by Baillie Scott

Blackwell sitting above Lake Windermere is an Arts and Crafts dream. Designed by Baillie Scott at the turn of the C20th for a Manchester brewer, it is the perfect place to visit when the weather can't decide what to do. There is a spacious garden, complete with long lawns with views of Lake Windermere for when the rain stops but it is the rooms inside that are the reason to visit, with their cushioned window seats and seating around the inglenook fireplaces (complete with William de Morgan tiles) that invite you to linger.

My favourite room is the White Drawing Room with bright and soft light, views of the lake and a pretty stained glass window featuring pale pink tulips and blue birds, motifs which reappear on other stained glass windows in the house.

What I love most about this house is the combination of elegant and airy spaces with the clean-lined but highly detailed furnishings and carvings. The spaces themselves are not cluttered yet attention has been given to the details of spaces and things that might often be overlooked, such as door handles, achieving a subtle harmony. And of course the quality of materials used makes this detail sing.

Photography is not allowed inside the house - to see pictures of interiors look at their website.

View of Lake Windermere from the gardens