Think of an English country home, and images of rose-covered, beamed cottages usually spring to mind. Some of these might sport a thatched roof; others will have twisting chimneys dating back to Tudor times, and tease the visitor with the promise of secret rooms and a history waiting to be discovered. Dark interiors are filled with an eclectic mix of furnishings, while elements of the surrounding bloom-filled garden creep inside through the floral motifs on the curtain fabrics and cushions. 

Alternatively, you might think of a Georgian manor or Downtown Abbey, with elegant proportions and large fireplaces to warm the substantial spaces. High-ceilinged, light-filled rooms in these properties are often punctuated with window seats that would please the cast of a Jane Austen novel.