Why Nothing Matches at The Old Mushroom Farm Accommodation (And Why It Works)

Interior Design with Character: Inside The Old Mushroom Farm Accommodation

At The Old Mushroom Farm, interior decorating doesn't arrive pre-packaged or politely neutral. It comes layered with character and quietly opinionated, courtesy of Mandy and Pip Crooks, the mother-and-daughter duo behind the farm’s holiday accommodation interiors.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpQGWlmZFeQ

Watch the full interview on The Old Mushroom Farm's Youtube Channel

Mandy was there from the beginning, furnishing the first cottages when accommodation at The Old Mushroom Farm took shape. Years later, when the Boutique Apartments emerged from former mushroom-growing rooms, Pip was handed the batten, sticking closely to her mum’s methods, instincts, and unspoken aesthetic lore.

“Auction houses are where we find most of our furniture,” says Mandy. Second-hand pieces are favoured for their character, their quirks. Like the way a table is worn to soften at the edges, or a lamp so out of fashion that it's ‘back in’ again. To the Crooks, these details matter.

The result is an eclectic interior recipe: auction deals, vintage scores, Hospice shop treasures, and the occasional new piece where needed. A combination that feels layered and lived-in rather than styled for show. 

Walking through the Boutique Apartments, Pip and Mandy point out how the interiors respond to the architecture. Renovated from old mushroom-growing rooms, the spaces are lofty and generous, with open-plan kitchen, lounge, and dining areas, and two spacious bedrooms.

As newer additions to The Old Mushroom Farm’s accommodation offering, the apartments feel a little sharper, more tailored. Custom-made CROOKS pieces anchor the spaces: steel kitchen cabinetry, encaustic tiles, and considered finishes that nod to the building’s industrial past. With Nick Crooks' bold art on the walls, and a generous use of colour, these are rooms that feel welcoming and playful.

Then there are the cottages, and yes, they’re as cute as people say. Converted from former farm staff housing, the cottages lean into simple living. They’re smaller and full of charm, with an open-plan living space, fireplace, and a stoep that looks out over farmland.

There’s a ‘cottage-core’ aesthetic at play. You can picture yourself wandering in from the vegetable garden with a wicker basket on your arm, putting the kettle on, and pouring tea into mismatched cups. 

Each cottage has two bedrooms and a unique cosy atmosphere. Despite newer accommodation options on the farm, the cottages remain a firm favourite with guests. Perhaps because they feel familiar.

Pip explains that the accommodation at The Old Mushroom Farm feels genuinely homely because it mirrors how Mandy has styled the Crooks family home. Family heirlooms sit comfortably next to brightly coloured plastic chairs. An auction antiques proudly displays an enamel tray from the Everything Shop. As at The Old Mushroom Farm accommodation where a mid-century armchair might live happily alongside a boldly patterned Basotho blanket.

Both Mandy and Pip draw on their artistic backgrounds when styling the spaces, laughing that their “artistic licence” can sometimes feel a little offbeat. There’s an element of kitsch in their approach—an ironic wink to something slightly silly or gleefully out of step. Some guests find the décor unusual and the Crooks are completely fine with that. They think their style is cool.

The Old Mushroom Farm accommodation’s rooms are curated with collections built slowly, with affection and family instinct. There’s no interest here in beige uniformity or anonymous hotel polish. We’re interested in character, each piece chosen for the way it interacts relationally to what’s around it. Pip and Mandy are having fun with it.

Have a look at the wide range of accommodation offered at The Old Mushroom Farm for your next Midlands getaway. From large family houses to romantic suites for two, there's something for everyone.