Simon Upton shows off his home

Photographer Simon Upton has traveled the world, capturing lovely rooms with his camera, but he decided to settle in a former vicarage in Devon 14 years ago, seeking a rural idyll for his daughter Matilda.

Simon Upton and his American wife, artist Anne Becker, wanted Matilda to have the country childhood they both had, and their home reflects their loves and lives, with horses, chickens, and vegetables in the walled garden.

A tour of their 20-acre domain reveals a discreet bank of solar panels, rainwater collection, a woodland grove, and a greenhouse with lemons, pomegranates, and avocados, showcasing their commitment to sustainability.

The property, originally a farmhouse, was enlarged and given a more formal façade in 1760 when the local vicar moved in, and later aggrandised with a wing set at right angles, creating a charming mix of styles.

Simon Upton notes that the informality of the architecture continues indoors with its furnishings, which Anne Becker has decorated with a wonderfully irreverent attitude, evident in the deep indigo blue wall and rhythmic frieze of little white dashes in the entrance hall.

The interior design is a playful mix of contrasts, featuring an 18th-century console, an African stool, and a huge circular mirror, as well as a sculpture of Ganesh and framed collages by Nan Swid, showcasing their eclectic taste.

As someone who has spent his career capturing the beauty of other people’s homes, Simon Upton‘s own home is a reflection of his and Anne‘s personal style, which values comfort and practicality over formal design principles, creating a space that feels truly lived-in.

Simon‘s office showcases his own unique style, with a sculpture of Ganesh over the door into the big front-to-back kitchen, framed collages by Nan Swid, a Charlotte Perriand wall light and a door curtain with its strip of Congolese kuba cloth, and you have an introduction that neatly sums up the playful, relaxed and unaffected contrast.

They have a deep connection to African archive treasures and other cultural influences, which are reflected in their home’s decor.