Our new film takes you to the country retreat of furniture company Another Country founder, Paul de Zwart. See how since buying the house with his wife, managing director of creative agency Winkreative, Ariel Childs, 20 years ago, the cottage in Dorset has been transformed into a refined take on the English country house idiom – watch the film here.

Whereas most couples’ idea of a first joint house purchase might be somewhere near work, London-based de Zwart and Childs opted for a 17^th-century cottage in the countryside that needed a healthy amount of restoration. Unperturbed by the commitment, the couple set out on their first house renovation, restoring the main house, rebuilding a pre-existing extension and adding a garden house above the separate garage. The process, as de Zwart explains, was involved and intimate, and one that resulted in interiors that bear the mark of their desire for contemporary country living, where wellies are as at home as a cocktail shaker.

Much like the house, de Zwart’s business, Another Country, reinterprets tradition for the 21^st century, with commissioned pieces from an international roster of designers imbuing contemporary details and finishes to the furniture heritages of Japan, Scandinavia, England and the Shakers. With an emphasis on sustainability, the company sets out to be as environmentally friendly as possible, making built-to-last pieces in Europe with responsibly sourced wood, and planting more trees than they use.

And thought for trees and the care of our planet doesn’t stop at work. The cottage is surrounded by woodland, putting its occupants in close contact with nature – perhaps going some way to explaining why for de Zwart, modern living is about treading lightly and respecting the natural world. Step inside de Zwart’s home here, and don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel where you’re welcomed into the homes of Ruth and Richard Rogers, Deyan Sudjic, Roger Zogolovitch and many more.