You know those days where you want to get out of the house but you’re not really sure where to go? Sunday was one of those days so we decided to pay a visit to a nearby listed building. My aim this summer is to see as many of the great halls and castles in the Suffolk and Norfolk region as I can. I do love a good nose around how we used to live in days gone by!
Constructed in the 1530’s as the family home of Thomas Seckford, Seckford Hall is a Tudor period house that is now a luxury hotel hosting wedding receptions, a luxury spa facility and boasting it’s own golf course and farm.
Thomas Seckford was an official at the court of Queen Elizabeth I who also held court at Seckford Hall.
Walking around to the back of the house, you are met with partially landscaped gardens, a large pond and pleasantly chirruping birds. I particularly loved how the grounds around the perimeter had been left to grow, giving it a slightly wild and natural feeling, which is my favourite type of garden.
A real feeling of English fairytale stories comes to mind when looking at the undergrowth beneath these ancient trees.
Inside you are met with a beautifully decorated lounge in modern furnishings that also fit right in with the ancient wood paneling and beams above your head.
Velvet sofas always capture my heart and these were purple! The pillows with deer in suits gave a lighthearted feeling to an otherwise dark room which could have been depressing however because of the expertely picked furnishings, was a delight to while away an hour with a coffee and a chat.
Wood paneling always reminds me of the Famous Five and Secret Seven books I read as a little kid and I want to go round knocking on all of them to find a secret passageway in the house!
There are a succession of sitting rooms, all furnished with velvet sofa’s and seats and balanced with contemporary art, leading to two conference rooms down the west wing.
In the east wing is the dining hall and wedding reception room with a comfortable bar upstairs as well as the hotel rooms above.
If you follow me on Instagram, you will know how much I love an animal in human clothing portrait, so I was delighted to come across these two handsome chaps!
On our way out, we came upon my dream car, a black Maserati so of course I had to have one of those “let’s pretend it’s my car” photos which is going immediately onto my vision board! One day! 
Around the corner from Seckford Hall is the Wyevale Garden Center where we stopped to grab a bite to eat and have a nose around the plants and gifts. I was surprised to walk into such a beautifully designed on-site restaurant called Botanic Garden. It was like walking into Ikea and ticked all of my design loving boxes with it’s Scandinavian style design, clean, simple colours, graphic lines and shapes and bountiful nature.
Those birdcage lampshades especially captured my attention!
Quite possible the most beautiful orchid I’ve ever laid eyes upon as a cherry on the top of a lovely lazy Sunday afternoon 
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