On 15 July 2014, contemporary art powerhouse Hauser & Wirth made headlines around the world when it opened its Somerset branch, a sleek refurb of an old farmstead (and grounds) from which to showcase and sell some of the world’s most expensive artworks. That same day, Natalie Jones, a 34-year-old creative type from London, got the keys to 9 Quaperlake Street, a Middle Earthian-sounding address up the road from Hauser & Wirth in Bruton, a one-street town that is an unlikely but increasingly popular destination with affluent city dwellers.
It’s this demographic of people seeking a rural idyll with an arty scene attached that Jones is aiming at with Caro Somerset, which is coffee shop, design boutique and guesthouse all under one (18th-century) roof. Though the concept sounds ridiculously urbane, the reality is unpretentious and alluring, thanks in large part to Jones herself, who is an enthusiastic proponent of good design and convivial surroundings.
It’s hard not to fall for a concrete plant pot or pair of crafting scissors (the kind that adorn arty interiors magazines) when you’re being plied with excellent coffee and locally made cakes so beautiful you can hardly bear to bite into them.
Up above the shop is where you sleep, in a wonky-floored, ripply-walled bedroom – just the one – impeccably turned out with wire-framed bedside tables, Danish blankets and the bare bulb lighting that’s de rigueur in hipster burger joints but unusual in a B&B. It feels indulgent to have a dressing room and an enormous bathroom, especially one filled with the fancy Aesop bath products that are on sale downstairs. For me, the experience of lying in a freestanding bath, looking over the dovecote (where more rooms will open next year) and a church, framed by a pink-tinged sky wisped with smoke, is euphoric.
I award more mental ticks for the kettle, fancy tea bags and fresh milk, which help distract me from the fact that, if it weren’t for this lovely bath, I’d be cursing the (huge) rain shower, a feature loved by some but a personal pet peeve.
Bravely, there’s no TV – “We really want to encourage people to talk to each other,” says Jones – and this ethos continues when you realise you really are sharing the house, old-fashioned B&B style, with Jones and her teacher fiancé, Tom. Some guests will love the fact that you have to walk through their home, passing their open (and design-classic filled) living room to get to your bedroom; but knowing they can hear you (and you them) clomping up the stairs could be a discomfiting level of intimacy for others.
Nevertheless, the effect is like staying with one of your most stylish friends, one who really wants you to have a lovely time. You can tell Jones has poured heart and soul into this project in everything from the hand-drawn maps provided as a guide to local attractions (trinket shops, restaurants and the odd country yomp) to the thoughtful breakfast vouchers.
Ah yes, vouchers. There’s no food on site (apart from artfully wrapped chocolates in the shop) but that barely matters when I realise some of Somerset’s best grub is available on the doorstep. A two-minute walk along the high street past the twinkly antique and paraphernalia shops is At The Chapel, a sophisticated all-day-and-evening spot with its own bakery, biodynamic wine shop, and sensational pizza. Caro guests can choose to spend their voucher on cocktails or the (almost obligatory) avocado and toast breakfast.
For dinner, I wander to Matt’s Kitchen, a supper-club-esque restaurant in what was once Matt Watson’s living room. Here, the disarmingly friendly Matt has created a modishly down-home experience, with a nightly changing tiny menu (£30 for spicy squid dumpling, beef curry then cheesecake), BYO booze, ramshackle furniture and new-agey deep turquoise walls. I’m completely smitten with the way it combines cosy, olde-worlde atmosphere with a casual but timely take on good dining.
Like Caro, it’s refined but approachable, representing the sensitive visionary’s ability to add a twist to something old and make it appeal to a whole new generation.
• Accommodation was provided by Caro Somerset, 9 Quaperlake Street, Bruton, Somerset (double room £120, 01749 813931)
Ask a local
Catherine Butler, owner of At The Chapel restaurant, bakery, wineshop and hotel
• Visit
The big draw is Hauser & Wirth, which has a very cool, international crowd. It’s such a pleasure to come to the country, see a great exhibition, a lovely garden and have a cocktail.
• Walk
From Bruton there’s a superb eight-mile walk to glorious National Trust property Stourhead partly through enchanting ancient woodland and going past the 18th century folly King Alfred’s Tower.
• Food
The producers and suppliers here are excellent. I’d recommend popping in to Westcombe Dairy which has an excellent farm shop and the Wild Beer Company on site too. Allotment enthusiasts can do a course with Charles Dowding, the master of grow-your-own, at nearby Alhampton. He has developed a “no digging” technique and runs courses onsite (day, £115; weekend £230) and online (£95).
