Last month, we visited Olive Guest at her home, Glebe House; one of the most desirable countryside escapes for lovers of nature, delicious food and warm, layered interiors.

The gardens were enjoying their second spring with raspberries, strawberries and sunflowers in abundance. Beyond the house, the hills of the Coly Valley rolled away into the distance; inside, flowers gathered from the garden sat among Olive’s paintings, antique furniture and rooms filled with colour. 

It was a beautiful setting in which to photograph Olive wearing pieces from our Autumn Winter collection. Olive, who is also a painter, has brought an artist’s eye to the house that her husband Hugo grew up in and which together, they reimagined as a guest house, restaurant and smallholding, inspired by the easy hospitality of Italian farm stays. Her vision runs through every room: generous and richly detailed, yet intimate enough to feel like a home. At Glebe, the pleasures of a well set table, a freshly picked flower and an afternoon in the garden seem to belong together. We talked about the changing season, explored their beautiful new cabins and discovered what autumn brings to this special corner of the South West.

Can you describe a little about this time of the year at Glebe; What changes as you head into Autumn and what are your favourite things about it?

Autumn is one of my favourite seasons at Glebe, there is something so special about lighting the first fires and harvesting autumn fruit and vegetables whilst watching the patchwork landscape change to a technicolour of warm oranges, gold and reds. The beaches are so quiet and the sea is at its warmest, it’s a chance to take a big exhale. 

The kitchen team are busy foraging mushrooms and making the most of the last of the tomatoes and summer vegetables. A lot of time is spent on preservation and fermentation, the flavours are carried through the year and served on our menu as pickles or used in sauces and stocks. The last of our berries are gathered whilst the first pick of apples & quinces is underway. 

What can guests expect in this season?

It feels very peaceful in the local towns and beaches - it’s a great time for walking and exploring some of the local woodlands and the south west coast path. We host a number of workshops like preserving and cooking in autumn, cider making with Tom Nancarrow and bread making. The house is filled with happy vases of Dahlias and Zinnias and mantlepieces are dotted with squash from the garden which we’ll be curing for the months ahead. 

How hands-on are you at Glebe? Where would we normally find you?

Everywhere! We converted an old stable building into our family house on site which is where I currently spend most of my time working with Hugo (my husband) - I’m in the process of building my art studio which will also be my office  - I look after the marketing, social media, interiors, our in-house gallery and our gift shop. I do have days where I work from the main house capturing the action in the kitchen and in our workshop area and the vegetable garden. It’s a balancing act with my own painting practice but I’m grateful for the contrast and to have both worlds feed into one another creatively.

What did you set out to achieve with the interiors at Glebe, what was most important to you? 

We want it to be a place to be enjoyed by all generations, where family can spend time together comfortably and where people can come to feel inspired. I didn’t want the house to feel too trendy. I loved visiting Charleston House; you can sense the love that has been poured into every room, object and surface. It was important for us that Glebe felt warm and inviting- we’ve used a lot of warm earthy colours that reflect what’s outside and layered objects, textiles and our own art collection. We’ve achieved this over a long period of time and we are constantly tweaking things. I painted a lot of the furniture myself over the years but there is still so much I want to do!

How do you balance your work as an artist with running Glebe? 

My art studio is near completion which is very exciting - it will allow me to paint in a larger scale as well as work on multiple pieces at a time - a quiet space to really delve into the work without distraction. 

For the past few years I’ve been painting on our kitchen table which has had its limitations working around the children and cats! I’m also hoping to shift my working week to create more space for my painting practice but I definitely haven’t nailed the balance, there are constant demands in hospitality. I’m grateful for it though and I get so inspired by the food, the land and the produce so the two jobs have quite a symbiotic relationship.

What is your favourite part of the hotel?

The sitting room in Glebe House is my favourite room. It’s a place where everyone can come together and sit around the fire, play games or just find a corner to curl up and read a book in. It’s painted in ‘Fruit Fool’ by Farrow & Ball which changes subtly with the light from an orange terracotta to a deep and earthy pink. There’s a lot of texture and colour in the room, it’s a great place to start your evening with a cocktail or end the evening around the fire with good conversation. 

Best part of the job?

The people we meet - we have had a few engagements here and many weddings I love that it’s become a special place for so many others too.  We also work with many other inspiring makers and producers - we have had the privilege of hosting courses with some incredible artists, brands and collaborating with chefs and sommeliers that we admire, it feels like we’re growing our community all the time and constantly learning along the way. 

And finally, a favourite piece from the Daydress AW collection 

I really love the Inca dress in ruby slipper - It’s so comfortable and the colour is perfect for this time of year as well as through winter - I can see myself wearing in the garden and in the house during the day but also out for a special lunch.