Finding Rest: Inside Restaries, the Farm Retreat Changing How We Think About Getting Away

Restaries at Paradise Farm is a ten-acre countryside retreat in rural northern Suffolk, founded by Gem Boner and Thom Scherdel, and built entirely around the belief that people deserve a proper break. Sitting just outside the market town of Halesworth, with ancient woodlands on one side and the quiet Suffolk coastline within easy reach, the property has a way of making the outside world feel very far away, very quickly. It is not a hotel, and it was never trying to be one.

Discovering Paradise Farm

(Photo Courtesy: Restaries)

The farm goes back to the 16th century, and spending even an hour on the property makes that easy to believe. Original beams cross the ceilings of the main farmhouse. Old brick and weathered timber frame every doorway. The kind of imperfections that took centuries to earn are all still there, and they are a big part of why the place feels so good to be in. When Boner and Scherdel first walked the land in 2023, they came with plans to restore one barn. The estate, as it turned out, had much bigger ambitions for them.

Across the ten acres, there is genuine room to wander. Woodland walks wind through the grounds. Lavender gardens and wild meadows spread out across the land. Pond bridges connect the quieter corners of the estate. The original Cider Store has been converted into a bespoke guest cottage, and a 15-meter heated pool with a retractable enclosure means a swim is always on the table, whatever the weather is doing.

Inside, the spaces feel like they belong to someone with very good taste and no interest in showing off. Sun-warmed tones run throughout. Vintage furnishings sit alongside locally crafted artwork. CULTIVER linens dress the beds properly. An Aga-centered kitchen stocks ingredients from independent local suppliers like Homestead Serendipity. Nothing was placed to fill a gap, and it shows.

And then there are the animals. Kune Kune pigs, alpacas, Pygmy goats, and sheep roam the farm like they own it, which, honestly, feels about right. Guests arrive expecting great interiors and a heated pool. They leave completely won over by a Pygmy goat they met on day one. Boner has seen it happen enough times to know it is one of the best things the property offers.

The Restaries Philosophy

Care at Restaries starts before anyone sets foot on the farm. The team reaches out ahead of every stay to ask about preferences, children's bedding needs, and how the kitchen should be stocked on arrival. By the time a guest walks through the door, the space has already been arranged around them. The fire is lit. The local wine is in the fridge. The room is warm. It is the kind of thoughtfulness that most places talk about, and very few actually deliver.

Luxury here is quiet. It lives in the weight of the linen, the heat coming off the fire, and the quality of what ends up on the table. What it does not come with is formality. No dress codes, no rigid timetables, no expectation that guests be anything other than themselves. That combination, genuine comfort without any of the stiffness, is harder to pull off than it sounds, and Restaries does it well.

The guests who find their way here are usually design-conscious, often quite busy, and genuinely ready to stop. Families come. Couples come. Groups of friends who kept putting the trip off finally commit. What they all share is an appreciation for detail and the hope that a few days somewhere thoughtful will remind them what it feels like not to rush. When guests leave saying their shoulders dropped from the moment they arrived, that is not a coincidence. That is the entire design.

Meet the Founder

Photo Courtesy: Restaries (Featuring Gem Boner and Thom Scherdel)

Gem Boner spent fifteen years in fashion PR and events before joining Soho House, where she served seven years as Membership and Communications Director. When she stepped away on maternity leave with her first daughter, Aries, she was ready for something that felt more personal and more her own. Her husband and co-founder, Thom Scherdel, shared that instinct, and together they bought Paradise Farm in 2023 with the intention of building something they actually believed in. What started as a plan to renovate one barn became something neither of them had fully anticipated, and Restaries is the result.

We got a chance to sit down with Gem to hear about her vision, philosophy, and perspective on what Restaries is really all about.

What inspired the idea behind Restaries?

"Restaries came from a very real need to pause. We were living busy, slightly chaotic lives, and I think we were craving somewhere that felt beautiful, but also deeply grounding. Not a stiff hotel, not a perfect show home, but a place with soul, where design, nature, animals, food, and proper rest could all sit together. When we found Paradise Farm, it felt like the place already had a story. It just needed gently waking up. Restaries really grew from that idea: creating somewhere people could come to switch off, reconnect, and feel looked after without anything feeling forced."

What does hospitality personally mean to you?

"For me, hospitality is about care. It's not just thread count and nice towels, although obviously I love both. It's about noticing the small things that make people feel comfortable and make their stay memorable. It's the fire already lit, the good coffee, the fresh eggs, the room feeling warm when you arrive, the local wine in the fridge, the sense that someone has thought about your stay before you got there. True hospitality should feel generous, intuitive, and relaxed. You shouldn't be able to see all the work behind it. You should just feel held by it."

What kind of traveler do you think naturally connects with Restaries?

"People who want beauty, but not formality. Our guests tend to be design-conscious, curious, creative, often quite busy, and usually in need of a proper exhale. They want the countryside, but they still want great interiors, good food, lovely products, a bit of culture, and a sense of discovery. They might be families, couples, groups of friends, founders, creatives, or people escaping the city for a few days. But the common thread is that they appreciate detail and they want somewhere with feeling."

What inspired the architecture and interiors?

"The farm itself was the starting point. It's a 16th-century farmhouse with outbuildings, old textures, beams, brick, weathered timber and all the imperfections that make a place feel alive. We wanted the interiors to feel layered rather than decorated, a mix of old and new, practical and beautiful, countryside and contemporary. I've always loved places that feel collected over time, not bought in one go. So there are soft colors, natural materials, playful details, good lighting, proper beds, vintage pieces, and products from brands we genuinely love. The aim was never to make it feel like a hotel. It was to make it feel like the countryside home you wish you had access to."

What does a perfect day at Restaries look like?

"Slow. It starts with proper coffee, fresh eggs from the chickens, maybe a walk around the farm in pajamas and wellies, ideally before anyone has checked their phone. Then a swim, a visit to the animals, a bit of reading somewhere sunny, or a massage if we're being sensible. On Saturdays, we offer a free yoga class, and I always highly recommend that our guests take part. Our instructor is amazing, and he ensures your day starts with a smile and a stretch. Lunch might be something local and simple, hopefully followed by time in the woodland spa, sauna, hot tub, cold plunge launching this summer, trees, birds, no noise. Then early evening drinks, a fire, a big table, good food, and that lovely countryside feeling where everyone suddenly forgets what time it is. That's the magic, really: when guests stop clock-watching."

Are there any signature experiences guests should not miss?

"The animals are a huge part of the experience. People arrive thinking they're here for interiors and hot tubs, and then suddenly they're completely obsessed with the alpacas, miniature donkeys, pigs, goats, and chickens. Our woodland dining is also very special, eating outside under the trees, with fire cooking and fairy lights, feels really memorable. And our woodland spa is becoming a big part of the Restaries rhythm: sauna, cold plunge, hot tubs, and stillness tucked away in nature. The other thing not to miss is just the simple stuff: collecting eggs, sitting by the pool, having a glass of Flint wine, walking through the fields. Those are often the moments people talk about most. We really want guests to explore the whole land, not just stay in their accommodation."

How do you want people to feel when they leave?

"Like their shoulders have dropped, memories have been created, and a sense that they want to come back. I want people to feel like they've properly stepped out of their everyday life for a moment. Like they've slept better, eaten well, laughed more, looked up at the sky, spent time with people they love, and remembered what it feels like not to rush. The nicest thing is when guests say they felt instantly relaxed here. That's exactly what we're trying to create, a place that takes your shoulders down."

What vision do you have for the future of Restaries?

"The vision is to keep building Restaries carefully, without losing the soul of it. We'd love to continue expanding the guest experience, more wellness, more food, more collaborations, more ways for guests to discover brilliant brands, makers, and local suppliers. We're also interested in how Restaries can grow beyond one site, but only if it can keep that same feeling: personal, design-led, rooted in nature, and never too polished. For me, the future isn't about becoming bigger for the sake of it. It's about becoming richer, in experience, story, community, and connection."

If Restaries had to be described in three words, what would they be?

"Rest. Restore. Reconnect."

A Perfect Weekend at Restaries

A weekend at Restaries starts with a supper hamper and a welcome massage on Friday evening and moves into a full Saturday of farm animals, a heated pool, private yoga, and the woodland spa before a coastal fish and chips dinner and pizzas under the stars to close the night. Sunday is slower, saved for a final walk around the farm before a 10 am checkout that most guests are not quite ready for. The days do not feel scheduled, even when they are full. That is the trick of the place: it gives you a lot without ever making you feel like you have somewhere to be.

Closing Note

Restaries at Paradise Farm is what happens when two people build something they genuinely care about. Gem and Thom did not set out to create a luxury brand. They set out to create a place that feels worth coming back to, and they built it from the ground up on a 16th-century farm in Suffolk with lavender gardens, pond bridges, animals that greet you in the morning, and a team that thought about your stay before you arrived. The experience speaks for itself.

Curious to see it for yourself? Browse the full Suffolk farm stay itinerary, explore more Travel Escapes, or plan your escape and we'll help you build a stay around what matters most to you.