Set within 10 acres of Suffolk countryside, Paradise Farm is home to Restaries, a collection of beautifully restored farm buildings reimagined as distinctive places to stay.

The 16th-century farm has lived many lives over the centuries, from cider production to serving as the home of an independent record label New World Music, before embarking on its latest chapter as a rural hospitality destination.

Founded by Gem and Thom Bon-Scherdel, Restaries has transformed the historic working farm into a collection of characterful retreats where heritage, design and contemporary comfort coexist with ease.

Original beams, weathered brickwork and timeworn textures sit alongside thoughtfully curated interiors, creating spaces that feel both deeply rooted and quietly contemporary.

Across the farm, every detail has been carefully considered, from the restoration of the buildings themselves to the atmosphere created after dark. Exterior lighting plays an important role in shaping the guest experience, guiding visitors through the site while preserving the warmth and character of the landscape.

We spoke with Gem about restoration, rural hospitality, the importance of atmosphere, and how Paradise Farm continues to evolve as a place to slow down, reconnect and gather.

Paradise Farm feels deeply rooted in its surroundings. What was it about the farm and its buildings that first captured your imagination?

There was something about Paradise Farm that felt immediately soulful. It wasn’t perfect, but it had this incredible sense of history, texture and possibility. The buildings had clearly lived many lives before us, and you could feel that in the brickwork, the old beams, the wonky lines and the way the farm sat so naturally within the Suffolk landscape.

What captured us most was that it didn’t feel like a blank canvas. It already had a character of its own, and our job was never to erase that. We wanted to gently restore, reimagine and bring it back to life in a way that felt considered, comfortable and connected to its surroundings.

Restoration is at the heart of what you do. What do you enjoy most about breathing new life into historic buildings?

I love the tension between preservation and possibility. With old buildings, you’re constantly listening to what’s already there, the proportions, materials, quirks, limitations - and then finding ways to make them work beautifully for modern life.

There’s something very rewarding about taking a space that may have been overlooked or underused and turning it into somewhere people genuinely want to spend time. We’re not interested in making things feel overly polished or perfect. The magic is often in retaining the imperfections, but layering in comfort, warmth and function so the building can have a new chapter.

Many of your spaces strike a beautiful balance between rustic character and modern comfort. How do you approach that balance when making design decisions?

For us, it always starts with feeling. We ask: how do we want people to feel when they arrive, when they wake up, when they sit by the fire, when they come back muddy from a walk? Everything has to feel beautiful, but it also has to work incredibly hard.

We try to preserve as much rustic character as possible — original beams, brick, old timber, natural materials -and then contrast that with proper comfort: great beds, good bathrooms, warm lighting, considered kitchens, useful storage and furniture you can actually relax into.

It’s luxury, but not in a formal way. It’s the kind of luxury that lets you exhale.

What do you hope guests take away from their time at Paradise Farm?

More than anything, I hope guests leave feeling properly restored.

"Restaries was built around the idea of slowing down, reconnecting and finding comfort in nature without having to sacrifice good design or thoughtful hospitality."

We want people to feel looked after, but not fussed over. There’s a very particular feeling here - waking up to the animals, walking through the meadows, cooking together, sitting by the fire, watching the sky change.

I hope guests take away a sense of calm, but also a sense of joy. That feeling of having had real time together.

Lighting plays an important role in how people experience a space. At Paradise Farm, how do you think about lighting when creating a sense of warmth, comfort and connection to the landscape?

Lighting is one of the most important parts of how a space feels, especially in the countryside where the natural light changes so dramatically throughout the day and across the seasons.

At Paradise Farm, we never want lighting to feel harsh or overdone. It needs to create atmosphere, guide people gently through the site and make the buildings feel warm and welcoming, particularly in the evenings. There’s something very special about arriving back to a softly lit farmhouse or seeing a warm glow from a barn door in winter.

We think of lighting as part of the emotional architecture of the place. It helps create a sense of comfort, safety and connection, while still allowing the landscape and night sky to do their thing.

Across the farm, lighting needs to be both beautiful and functional. What are some of the considerations when choosing exterior lighting for a working farm and hospitality destination?

It has to do a lot at once. Paradise Farm is both a working rural site and a hospitality destination, so exterior lighting needs to be practical, durable and safe, but it also needs to feel completely in keeping with the character of the buildings.

We have guests arriving in the dark, people moving between dwellings, animals nearby, weather to contend with, and different levels and surfaces across the farm. So lighting has to help people navigate comfortably without making the site feel overlit or commercial.

We’re always looking for pieces that feel robust and timeless - lights that can handle the elements, but still look beautiful against old brick, timber and weathered textures.

Original BTC exterior bracket lights can be found throughout many of the farm's buildings and dwellings. What drew you to these designs, and why did they feel right for Paradise Farm?

"Original BTC felt like a very natural fit for Paradise Farm because the designs have that rare balance of utility and beauty."

The exterior bracket lights feel practical and honest, but they also have a softness and elegance that works beautifully against the old farm buildings.

We were drawn to their simplicity. They don’t shout, and that’s important here. They feel like they belong — almost as though they could have always been part of the fabric of the place. On a farm like ours, you need pieces that are functional and well made, but still contribute to the overall atmosphere.

They’ve become part of the rhythm of the site: by doorways, along barns, outside dwellings. They help create that sense of arrival and warmth that is so important to the guest experience.

The farm changes with the seasons. Do you have a favourite time of year at Paradise Farm, and what makes it special?

It’s very hard to choose because each season brings something different. Summer is obviously beautiful -long evenings, wildflowers, swimming, outdoor dinners, children running around barefoot , but I have a real soft spot for autumn and winter here.

There’s something incredibly comforting about Paradise Farm when the evenings draw in. The fires are lit, the buildings glow, the air smells of woodsmoke, and everything feels a little slower. It becomes very cocooning. I think that’s when the restoration work, the interiors and the lighting really come into their own.

That said, spring is always magic too - especially when the farm starts waking up again and the animals become part of the daily rhythm.

Where do you find inspiration, whether for restoration projects, interiors, or the guest experience itself?

Inspiration comes from lots of places, but mostly from how people actually live and gather. We’re always thinking about the small moments: where someone puts their coffee in the morning, how a family moves through a kitchen, where friends naturally sit after dinner, how a guest feels when they arrive after a long drive from London.

I’m very inspired by places that feel effortless but are actually deeply considered, old hotels, rural European houses, artists’ homes, farm buildings, restaurants, gardens, antique markets. We’re drawn to spaces that have layers and personality rather than anything too perfect.

The guest experience itself is also a huge source of inspiration. Watching how people use the farm teaches us so much about what to improve, what to simplify, and where the real magic is.

Looking ahead, are there any future projects or plans for Paradise Farm that you're particularly excited about? 

We have so many ideas, but we’re always trying to grow in a way that feels true to the place. The vision is to keep deepening the experience at Paradise Farm,  more considered outdoor spaces, more wellness, more ways for guests to connect with the land, the animals and each other.

We’re particularly excited about continuing to develop the farm as a place for retreats, creative gatherings and private takeovers. There’s something very special about seeing the whole site come alive for a group — whether that’s a family celebration, a brand retreat, or a weekend built around food, wellness and nature.

Ultimately, everything we do has to come back to the same question: does it make the farm feel more generous, more beautiful, more useful, or more restorative? If it does, then it belongs here.