Country style

"Where are you?" demanded the woman.

"Coxwold," replied Joy.

"The Cotswolds - why on earth have you moved there?"

If Coxwold had a loose fix on the geographic radar, that's all changed after it was named the "third most desirable village in Britain" by estate agents Savills last week, spawning a spate of publicity.

With its light stone buildings and beautiful setting amid the North York Moors National Park, it is not dissimilar from its near namesake in the West Country.

Prior to this new accolade, Coxwold's previous claim to fame was Shandy Hall, home of 18th-century writer Laurence Sterne.

The population of 200 or so is fairly stable, but among its newest arrivals are Peter and Joy Plaskitt, York's best-known interior designers.

The couple, who have run their interior design business for more than 20 years, uprooted from their Monkgate base last year, buying the rundown former doctor's surgery on Coxwold's main street.

After a year of true grit - "the place looked like a bombsite at times," says Joy - they now have a beautiful family home and showroom in the Grade II-listed Georgian property.

Because their base is within the national park, the couple have to operate their business under certain restrictions, including running an appointments-only' system.

"We still offer the same service, but people have to call us first and tell us they are coming," says Joy.

Whether you want a roll of wallpaper or a whole refit for your house, the Plaskitts still offer an enviable service.

"All our books are bang up to date," says Joy, who has some of the latest fabric and wallpaper samples ahead of their unveiling at London Design Week in March.

Working alongside Peter and Joy is fellow interior designer Claire Mullen.

The great thing about having the showroom attached to the house, says Joy, is that clients can see how certain designs and room schemes look in real life.

When I visited earlier this week with Press photographer Garry Atkinson, York was in the grip of a late winter freeze. The bare trees and flat fields were covered with a glistening white frosting and looked quite magical.

As Joy took us on a tour of the house, Peter busied himself in their state-of-the-art kitchen, making leek and potato soup for lunch.

The comforting smell of vegetables slowly cooking in butter wafted through the house, reminding you first and foremost that this is a home.

Surprisingly, much of the interior is quite traditional. There is wallpaper, antique furniture, big chandeliers, over-sized mirrors, luxurious carpets, and sofas to sink into. But there is plenty of that Plaskitt panache too - particularly in the bathrooms and kitchen.

The downstairs loo has been dubbed "Joy's Folly" on account of its OTT-qualities. The walls have been panelled and painted a deep blood red, there are feathers for decoration and a sculpture of a woman's hand stands proud, dangling a small silk bag from its palm.

In the upstairs bathroom, tiny pebbles cover the floor, and an oil seascape by York artist Linda Wormald hangs on the wall above the freestanding tub.

"I got her to paint this for Peter's 50th birthday last year," says Joy. "I gave her some of the paint we used on the wall and she incorporated it into the painting."

The kitchen is the heart of the home, not least because it sprawls out into a large conservatory, housing a dining and sitting area. The couple admit they spend most of their time here. And you can't blame them, what with everything from the kettle to TV at hand, as well as amazing views over their long garden, orchard and paddock.

Peter's voice rises excitably as he gives us a guided tour to its many hidden features. There's a full blown pantry. These are really coming back," Peter and Joy each tell me separately. Nigella thinks so too, so take note.

Then there's a fridge, which takes up half a wall, but is quite narrow inside, leaving the need for two further fridges: one for milk, one for wine. "This is quite clever," says Joy, opening the hi-tech wine cooler. "It's chilled at 20 degrees on the bottom for the white wine, but just to eight degrees on top for the red."

Then there's the two dishwashers: "One for cups, the other for dishes," says Peter.

Not to be out done, there are two cookers too: an Aga with a glass splashback in place of tiles from Studio 63 at Easingwold, and a stainless steel work-top hob, complete with secret extractor fan that emerges from the marble surface at the touch of a button and cleverly carries away cooking smells underground.

Peter, an acclaimed cook who took part in TV challenge Come Dine With Me, admits he started out with a wish list of everything he wanted in his new kitchen - and pretty much got it all.

"I hate microwaves," he said, pointing to a silver appliance fitted into a wall cabinet, which looked suspiciously like the hated heating product. "But this is a steamer, and it's absolutely brilliant. I use it all the time."

The kitchen was made by Peter Thompson of York and local tradesmen carried out all the work on the house.

All the mirrors - based on antique designs - are made by Sara Kirkby, of Sutton-in-Craven, North Yorkshire, and some of the furniture is from Georgie Netherwood, fellow Coxwold artisan.

Joy said: "I use as many local people as possible because we know how hard it is in business. We like to support people who keep their money in Yorkshire."

The couple admit they are busier than ever, confirming their move to Coxwold was a wise one. New projects include doing up holiday homes in Palma and launching their own holiday-let business, featuring properties with five-star status.

Next month, Joy and Claire will attend London Design Week, looking out for the latest trends to bring back.

"Big prints on fabric and furniture are coming in, moving away from the plain sofa," predicts Joy. "For colour, there is still a lot of strong greens and deep purples."

Joy says an easy way to update a room would be to cover a chair in a bold print, or add some funky cushions.

Another prediction is the demise of the feature wall and the return of wallpaper for the whole room, which is a look the Plaskitts have carried out in their new home.

Not convinced? Then book yourself a consultation in Coxwold and see for yourself.

• Plaskitt & Plaskitt, The Old Consulting Rooms, Elphin House, Coxwold. Tel: 01347 868452. Online at www.plaskittandplaskitt.co.uk