"I do love wood. It is great to live with and so adaptable" says Jan Cavelle and her own home at Barlow is filled with examples made by her company.

Parts of Jan's cottage date back to 1890 but her designs give a decidedly modern spin to a pared down country look.

Neutral flooring gives a sense of continuity as the rooms on the ground floor all lead into each other. A scrubbed pine refectory dining table is surrounded by smart, but comfortable high backed upholstered chairs making it the perfect place to linger over meals with friends and children. With 2 boisterous dogs Pete and Rory around the house, the furniture has to be pretty tough as well as chic.

As a furniture designer, Jan has discovered that living with her creations is a sure fire way of finding out how well they work. She has built a reputation for elegant furniture with high finishes that can stand up to modern living.

Alcoves in the sitting room are elegantly kitted out with matching mirrors and console tables from her current range and the sofas are from an earlier collection. Having an eye for great furniture appears to run in the family - Jan has inherited some special pieces from her mother.

"I have a wonderful bookcase that she bought for £20 years ago, that had been made as a stage prop of all things but is wonderful", said Jan.

The house is full of hundreds of books as reading is one of Jan's ways of relaxing away from work, and she has designed a whole wall of shelving in a study area of the cottage to accommodate them.

She has noticed that while fashion may lead the interiors market, customers are increasingly looking for quality as well as interesting designs. "The time of stripped pine has gone and reproduction furniture is not as popular. People want something new, cleaner lines and something that is easy to look after"

"I think your home should be the place you feel safe and comfortable in, somewhere you can relax and don't have to answer the door if you don't want to as well as somewhere that you don't have to worry about the dusting and polishing"

Unusual woods, like the deeply grained Zebrano from the Congo, are becoming popular along with jewel colours.

"The big change now is the move away from the more neutral colours - deep pinks and bright greens are part of our new range"

Apart from the items in her collection, customers can have furniture made to order in any wood or colour they like. Single pieces go up to £6000 depending on the rarity of the wood and the finish.

"I have promised staff this will be a year to consolidate because we grew so fast last year - it was a real challenge and everyone has worked so hard. We have recently sent two deliveries off to China, one to furnish an Embassy compound and the other to fill a set for an appearance by the Bee Gees! The thought of markets opening up in that part of the world is quite something".