Guide Book Design for Pencarrow House and Gardens

Bringing the story of the house to life

After completing the update of Pencarrow’s website, we were asked to carry the new visual approach into the official guide book. It gave us the opportunity to explore much more of the history behind the house, gardens and the Molesworth-St Aubyn family who have lived at Pencarrow for generations.

We worked on both the design and the copy, creating a guide that felt informative without becoming overly formal. The writing brings together the history of the estate, its rooms, artefacts and gardens with some of the more unusual stories and anecdotes that give Pencarrow so much of its character.

Editorial design, photography and print

Large photographs give the interiors, collections and gardens plenty of room, while softer off-white pages and restrained grey typography keep the design sympathetic to Pencarrow’s wider identity. The guide also includes a family tree, an introduction by Lady Molesworth-St Aubyn and a map to help visitors understand the estate.

We selected and arranged imagery alongside the copy so that the book works as more than a record of facts. It leads visitors through the house and gardens, drawing attention to details they may otherwise miss and helping tell the stories behind the things they see.

We also managed the print, choosing a substantial silk-finish stock that gives the finished guide book a suitably tactile feel and allows the photography and colours of the house to reproduce beautifully.