How Catherine and John Pawson Made a 1610 Farmhouse in the Cotswolds Uniquely Their Own

The minimalist master and his wife translate their inspired take on farm living into a delicious new cookbook

Two people working at a wooden table near a large window in a modern stone house with another window to the right.
Catherine and John Pawson prepare a table in the barn, where the glass wall can be raised to create an open-air dining space. Photo: Gilbert McCarragher

Time spent cloistered at home during the pandemic has for many people served to heighten awareness of their surroundings. John Pawson, the British architectural designer celebrated for his exquisitely refined minimalist spaces, and his wife, Catherine, are no exception. “You get a very different feel for the place watching the seasons unfold,” Catherine says of Home Farm, the couple’s residence in the Cotswolds, roughly two hours west of London. “There’s always something to do in the garden.”

Scenic view of historic stone houses reflecting in a tranquil pond, surrounded by autumn trees under a clear blue sky.
A view of Catherine and John Pawson’s Cotswolds retreat, Home Farm, from across the carp pond. Photo: Gilbert McCarragher

They purchased the 1610 farmhouse, along with its outbuildings, as a retreat from the city and a gathering place for family. In their renovation, John’s well-known reverence for space, light, and materials played into every decision. He joined together different structures, stripping them down to their material essence—though he describes the results as less austere than the couple’s London home.

It was all by design for the food-focused couple, who collaborated on the new book Home Farm Cooking (Phaidon), which features 100 recipes and is filled with photographs depicting the property in every season. A follow-up to John’s beloved, out-of-print Living and Eating, published in 2001, the book demonstrates how the couple puts their three separate kitchens and multiple dining spaces to excellent use throughout the year.

A salad with boiled eggs, asparagus, and greens on a marble table with two forks beside the plate
A salad of Jersey Royal potatoes with asparagus and pancetta. Photo: Gilbert McCarragher
Colorful stuffed bell peppers on a white plate filled with cheese and herbs, placed on a light-colored table.
Piedmontese peppers, based on a recipe from Elizabeth David, using wild garlic for pesto. Photo: Gilbert McCarragher

That certainly goes for these past months, when the Pawsons spent lockdown at Home Farm with two of their three children—one a vegan and the other a meat lover—living out their cookbook day by day. “We’re very informal. We don’t do fancy dining,” says Catherine, who has her own interiors practice and previously worked at Colefax and Fowler. “We use the barn in the warmer months, because the large window opens up and you feel like you’re outside. Then, in the winter, we move into the smaller spaces, where we build fires with the curtains drawn.”

To the idea of curtains, John charmingly shrugs. “Life is compromise. Some people like curtains, though I can’t imagine why,” he says. “But they are an undyed boiled wool, so they’re as close to a monk’s habit as you can get.”

Modern kitchen with large windows, exposed beams, and countryside view. Features dining table, chairs, and a small timber building outside.
The interior of the barn. Photo: Gilbert McCarragher

His spartan preferences extend to setting the table. “For our table we have very basic things,” says Catherine. “John genuinely hates stuff.” While the options are pared down, everything is meticulously designed by John and draws from his array of collaborations: bowls and cutlery he did for When Objects Work, oven-to-table cookware for Demeyere, candlesticks for Swarovski, marble serving vessels for Salvatori.

When it comes to the menu, Catherine and John are in complete agreement: “We try to eat as seasonal as possible,” says Catherine. In spring, that means asparagus, broad beans, herbs, baby artichokes, and other produce grown in the couple’s garden or fetched from down the road at Daylesford Organic Farm. “The less intervention the better when you have great ingredients,” says Catherine. “I prefer recipes that are quick and easy, but maybe also because I’m quite lazy.”

Person tending to a garden with various colorful flowers, lush greenery, and a stone wall, under a clear blue sky.
Catherine Pawson tends to the flower beds. Photo: Gilbert McCarragher

As any gardener will tell you, there’s no such thing as a lazy gardener. And this spring promises to reveal rewards from Catherine’s hard work last fall. “She’s buried several hundred bulbs, so it will look like Holland,” says John, who admits to being more of an observer. “My father would always go out to the garden and tell someone else what to do,” he recounts, laughing. “I like that side of things. Catherine prefers to do it herself.”

Whatever the division of duties is at Home Farm, it’s clearly working for the Pawsons. Not only have they created a country refuge as inviting as it is architecturally arresting—they’ve also got a delightful, must-have cookbook to prove it.

A version of this article first appeared in print in our 2021 Spring Issue under the headline “Perfectly Seasoned.” Subscribe to the magazine.

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How Catherine and John Pawson Transformed a 1610 Farmhouse in the Cotswolds Into Serene Retreat

Catherine and John Pawson prepare a table in the barn, where the glass wall can be raised to create an open-air dining space.

Photograph by Gilbert McCarragher

Another view of the farmu2019s buildings.

Photograph by Gilbert McCarragher

Walnut and praline ice cream, one of the recipes in the coupleu2019s new book, Home Farm Cooking (Phaidon).

Photograph by Gilbert McCarragher

The interior of the barn.

Photograph by Gilbert McCarragher

Blood orange sorbet with a citrus salad.

Photograph by Gilbert McCarragher

A view of Catherine and John Pawsonu2019s Cotswolds retreat, Home Farm, from across the carp pond.

Photograph by Gilbert McCarragher

Piedmontese peppers, based on a recipe from Elizabeth David, using wild garlic for pesto.

Photograph by Gilbert McCarragher

Catherine Pawson tends to the flower beds.

Photograph by Gilbert McCarragher

A salad of Jersey Royal potatoes with asparagus and pancetta.

Photograph by Gilbert McCarragher

A marble table John Pawson designed for Salvatori overlooks gardens and rolling fields beyond.

Photograph by Gilbert McCarragher
Two people inside a modern stone house working at a wooden dining table near a large window reflecting trees.
A charming brick and stone house with a large tree in the front yard and lush greenery surrounding the property.
Vanilla ice cream in a glass with a spoon and biscuit, placed on a stone surface near a textured brick wall.
Modern kitchen with large windows, exposed beams, and countryside view. Features dining table, chairs, and a small timber building outside.
Plate of fruit including watermelon balls, orange slices, and pomegranate seeds on a teal dish with a spoon nearby.
Scenic view of historic stone houses reflecting in a tranquil pond, surrounded by autumn trees under a clear blue sky.
Colorful stuffed bell peppers on a white plate filled with cheese and herbs, placed on a light-colored table.
Person tending to a garden with various colorful flowers, lush greenery, and a stone wall, under a clear blue sky.
A salad with boiled eggs, asparagus, and greens on a marble table with two forks beside the plate
Marble table with teapot, cup, and scenic view of a sunset over a grassy field with trees and stone fence.
Two people inside a modern stone house working at a wooden dining table near a large window reflecting trees.
A charming brick and stone house with a large tree in the front yard and lush greenery surrounding the property.
Vanilla ice cream in a glass with a spoon and biscuit, placed on a stone surface near a textured brick wall.
Modern kitchen with large windows, exposed beams, and countryside view. Features dining table, chairs, and a small timber building outside.
Plate of fruit including watermelon balls, orange slices, and pomegranate seeds on a teal dish with a spoon nearby.
Scenic view of historic stone houses reflecting in a tranquil pond, surrounded by autumn trees under a clear blue sky.
Colorful stuffed bell peppers on a white plate filled with cheese and herbs, placed on a light-colored table.
Person tending to a garden with various colorful flowers, lush greenery, and a stone wall, under a clear blue sky.
A salad with boiled eggs, asparagus, and greens on a marble table with two forks beside the plate
Marble table with teapot, cup, and scenic view of a sunset over a grassy field with trees and stone fence.