Country House Interiors: How To Nail The Gentlemen Look

The UK is home to a busy network of country estates – and while we can’t confirm whether any of them are a front for a British weed empire, the fictional Halstead Manor certainly fits the bill. The Gentlemen’s country pile is, beyond its underground farms, a masterclass in heritage interiors, with audiences all over the world drawn to its stately charm. Want to get the look? We ask the show’s production designer for his top tips.

The Gentlemen Is Reviving Stately Home Interiors

Despite being a fictional abode, Halstead Manor is sparking a renewed love of British country interiors. And we’re not talking chocolate box cottages, either. Think the grand, stately homes you can spot in National Trust catalogues, historical documentaries and, now, Guy Ritchie-produced TV shows about upper class gangsters.

But, drug lords (drug dukes?) aside, the interiors in The Gentlemen are nothing to scoff at. Spaces are characterised by large; open fireplaces with crackling hearths, soaring stucco walls decorated with family portraits and taxidermied game; wood-panelled gun rooms stocked high with Holland & Holland; and bedrooms designed around canopy beds and huge mahogany desks. A home most befitting a duke. But how does one find – and, more importantly, design – one?

Theo James as Eddie Horniman in The Gentlemen (c) Christopher Rafael/Netflix

Where Is Halstead Manor? (& Who Designed It?)

Halstead Manor is, in fact, Badminton House in South Gloucestershire. The Grade I listed country home, which dates back to the 17th century (although some parts of the building were reportedly built in the 11th century), was established as the seat of the Horniman family back in season 1. While Eddie claims dukedom in The Gentlemen, in real life, Badminton House is the home of the Dukes of Beaufort.

Outside, the exterior serves an impressive shot of the estate, while inside film crews primarily used Badminton’s grand hallway, main staircase, North Hall and East Room. And when it came to preparing these spaces for The Gentlemen, show creator Guy Ritchie looked to long-standing collaborator and production designer Martyn John. 

Speaking to C&TH about Halstead House’s evolution in season 2 of the show, John explained how: ‘In The Gentlemen season 1, we wanted to establish Halstead Manor as Badminton House. I think we used around five locations. We had some set builds, we had on-the-ground locations and we had Badminton, and that all made up Halstead Manor.’ John helped scout the locations for the show, as well as dress them, and knew they needed to expand Halstead for future seasons.

The Gentlemen season 2 (c) Netflix

But there were challenges along the way. ‘Going forward for season 2, we couldn’t go back to many of the off-site places where we’d been previously, because those locations were no longer available and we didn’t have the wherewithal to build sets for Halstead again.’

This meant that the team had to get creative with what they already had access to at Badminton House. ‘We switched a lot of spaces we already had – we used bedrooms for offices, found new rooms, and we didn’t go back to the drawing room, so we could put things in different areas. We had a ballroom, we had garages for where the hunt happened, and things like that,’ explains John. ‘It was a lovely progression, and we could explore different sides of Halstead that we didn’t have before.’

As well as Badminton House, even more locations were brought in to double as Halstead Manor – namely, Loseley Park near Guildford, which makes up most of the interiors in season 2. 

Swakeleys House stood in for the gun room at Halstead Manor (c) Netflix

Swakeleys House in Ickenham also makes an appearance as Halstead’s famed gun room. ‘I went to look at a few rooms at Badminton House – and while they have a hundred guns, their actual gun room was tiny,’ John told C&TH. ‘I found a beautiful panelled room at Swakeleys House, and I built the cabinets [to display the guns]. There were six of these beautiful cabinets, and we covered them in baize. I also built units in the middle for the cartridges and the belts and everything, and put the trophies around the walls.’

And with season 2 wrapped up – and a third installment on the way, confirmed by costume designer Loulou Bontemps – there’s plenty more of Halstead Manor to explore (and seek inspiration from). 

The Gentlemen season 1 (c) Netflix

Get The Look: The Gentlemen Interiors

Wondering what it takes to give your home some Halstead flair? Production designer Martyn John shares his top three tips for nailing The Gentlemen-inspired interiors.

Condense Your Colour Palette

The first step, says John, is editing your palette. ‘I think you only ever need to use three colours – black and white are included in that – but only three colours,’ he emphasises. ‘And if you’re going for, say, a wonderful oxblood leather, keep everything in those red tones. It makes everything look so much richer, more expensive and established.’ 

The Gentlemen Season 1 (c) Netflix

Good Lighting Is Key

While you can get away with just using the big light, the interiors of Halstead manor are usually lined with multiple sources: fireplaces, lamps, candles and large open windows. ‘I always have as many lights as I can choose from,’ adds John. ‘Overhead lights are okay, but side lights and table lights can make the space feel more filled and layered. So spend a lot of time on your lighting.’

Dress Up The Space

A grand setting like Halstead Manor relies on the small details to make each room feel opulent and sophisticated. John’s top tip? Cushions. ‘You can never have enough cushions – cushions are king in my book. They’re the most flexible accessory in your home; you can change them. I’m always putting the cushions I have into different rooms if I want to change an accent colour. So the more, the merrier.’

All episodes of The Gentlemen are now streaming on Netflix. netflix.com