A 16th-century cottage in West Sussex that thoughtfully blends past and present
‘Part of the reason they came to us,’ says interior designer Holly Vaughan of the clients, ‘is that they’d always wanted a quirky cottage home.’ As far as first country homes go, you could not get more idyllic than this 16th-century cottage in a small village nestled between the Surrey Hills and the South Downs. But while its funny old angles, low ceilings and old beams spoke to the charm of country living and centuries old properties, they also presented some challenges for Holly’s team.
First, there was a wait for planning permission. And then came several bat surveys. ‘There was a rare species of bat found, so that was interesting!’ Holly laughs. As renovations began, they also discovered there had previously been a fire in the house, and there was some structural damage. ‘Some of those beams had to be replaced but we tried to do that with existing ones,’ says Holly, referring to how they clad the new beams in the old wood. The wife was particularly interested in the original features and vintage pieces, whereas the husband was concerned with ensuring the house could incorporate the mod cons of 21st-century living. This involved raising the doorways to accommodate his height and installing a whole-house ventilation system (MVHR), while also preserving the cottage’s original features and matching what they could with bespoke additions. ‘Every single window is a different shape and size and proportion,' says Holly. Even the plastering was kept soft and subtle to evoke the how the cottage may have looked centuries ago.
The wife, who is French, is quite fond of antiques and so Holly scoured the markets and took a trip to France to look for great pieces, such as the sconces in the stone hallway just before the staircase. The sofa in the main living room was also found at Kempton. 'It was not looking great – it was an old Harrods sofa, and it took a bit of bargaining to get it, and needed to be fully reupholstered.’ And reupholstered it was by third-generation upholsterer John Haswell in Lewis and Woods’ ‘Etienne’, with a large scale print inspired by a 19th-century French design, which pays tribute to the wife’s heritage.
In the kitchen, Holly convinced the couple to invest in Pyrolave, a glazed volcanic stone prized for its durability and distinctive high gloss. ‘When people do pyrolave, they might do the crazy colours but we opted for an ivory colour,’ she says. As a result, the worktops balance strength with refinement, their gently crackled glaze adding texture and visual interest at close range without overwhelming the kitchen’s scheme as a bolder colour might have done. The rest of the kitchen is given room to shine with a classic AGA and simple island with a wooden top made from felled urban trees. In here, there is a tasteful colour scheme of light and chocolatey browns and rust reds which create a warming, cocooning feel.
It’s a sensibility created throughout the cottage, in fact. Despite what Holly sweetly calls ‘cottage proportions’, the rooms still feel generous and they have cleverly maximised space where they have been able. ‘The original plan was to have an extension on the kitchen, but that got kicked out at planning so we had to go for a bit of a plan B.’ Plan B was a cosy snug given space to breathe through its vaulted ceiling and skylight. The dining room, which leads just off the kitchen occupies an existing extension, built about 50 years ago by previous owners with large windows overlooking the gardens. The bedrooms are full of character, filled with beautiful vintage furniture and lighting and patterned cushions and wallcoverings that mirror the natural beauty of the surroundings.
Finding a way to balance considerate preservation with high-spec modern additions can be difficult, and this project, Holly admits, was no exception. But the result is a delightful country home that celebrates the past, while accommodating the present.
Chris Snook1/25The table lamp sitting on a vintage side table from Nimmo and Spooner has a vintage base from Tat London and a custom shade. The cushion is in ‘Lost & Found’ from Christopher Farr Cloth
Chris Snook2/25The wife is a big fan of antiques. A vintage lamp from Vintage on the Vine sits on vintage sideboard from Kernow. The rug is from Seagrass Story
Chris Snook3/25The side table and armchair are both vintage finds from Kempton. The armchair has been reupholstered by third-generation upholsterer John Haswell in ‘Tuscany II’ fabric in hay by Sanderson. A sheepskin throw from Howe lies on it. The bookshelves were made by Cutting Edge Joinery and designed by Vaughan Designs. Tucked into one of its nooks in a vintage lamp from Kept London. At the window painted in a matching green is a blind in Maryam Vine fabric, made by Chloe Jonason
Chris Snook4/25The original openings of this 16th-century cottage helped create these quaint slim windows by CWD Improvements, which are dressed in blinds made from Schumacher’s cabanon stripe by interior designer Chloe Jonason. The taps are from Devol.
Chris Snook5/25Holly favoured Pyrolave worktops for the kitchen for their elegantly crackled appearance. The island was made by Chisholm Design to Holly's specifications, with a wood top by Fallen and Felled, and the accompanying stools are vintage. The stone flooring is silver tumbled travertine by Loughborough based company Floors of Stone. The tiles above the classic AGA are from Maude Made. A carefully considered colour scheme gives the kitchen a welcoming atmosphere. ‘Lark’ by Atelier Ellis covers the walls and ceilings. The kitchen cabinetry is painted in Edward Bulmer's ‘Red Ochre’ and the island cabinetry in Atelier Ellis’ ‘Coming up Roses’.
Chris Snook6/25In the dining room which leads out from the kitchen, an antique dining table from Christian Davies takes centre stage, accompanied by antique chairs from Shiny Tings London. The Blinds also made by Chloe Jonason are in the ‘Flax Field Posy’ fabric from Volga Linen. The quaint cabinet is also an antique from Pato Interiors.
Chris Snook7/25A bespoke skirt made by Chloe Jonason in Ian Sanderson’s ‘Posie’ adds further texture to the granite work area in this utility room. Walls in Farrow and Ball’s ‘Lime White’ and cabinetry (designed by Vaughan and made by Chisolm Designs) painted in Edward Bulmer’s ‘Invisible Green’ make confident neutrals for these tasteful uses of pattern. An antique pendant light found at Petworth provides charming contrast to the industrious worktop.
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Chris Snook9/25Vintage pieces greet any visitor entering the house. Holly found the wall lights in a French market and the bobbin side table was picked up at Kempton antiques market. The wool runner is Roger Oates’ ‘Mila terracotta’.
Chris Snook10/25Stairs painted in Edward Bulmer’s ‘French Blue’ take you upstairs. A sweet, petite sconce from Jim Lawerence –the ‘Smugglers’ wall light – has been fitted with a shade in a Robert Kime fabric from Faeger. The sideboard is an antique piece from Pato interiors.
Chris Snook11/25Tess Newall’s ‘Herbarium’ wallcovering is a charming way to bring the outdoors inside, with its painted floral studies featuring forget-me-nots and bluebells evoking the classic english garden. A vintage bench found at Ardingly market rests against the bed, which has a headboard upholstered by John Haswell in fabric from Gaston y Daniel with a rope trim from Samuel & Sons. Vintage table lamps from Passe the Store sit on the bedside tables. The lights nestled into ceiling between the beans are the ‘Baylis’ from Corston.
Chris Snook12/25A vintage chest of drawers from Petworth Antiques Centre sits in the corner of the room. Chloe Jonason made the blinds from ‘Ginger’ by Tissus d’helene, a corduroy fabric that provides texture and warmth. The floorboards are ‘Furrow’ by Ted Todd and the wall lights are vintage pieces from Wallis Studios.
Chris Snook13/25This bedroom is a wonderful example of how to infuse character into a room with a tasteful restraint that lets the 16th century spirit of the room shine. The curtains made by Chloe Jonason were constructed from Pierre Frey’s ‘La Bussiere’. The vintage bed frame sourced from The Old Cinema also provides a point of visual interest with its carved acorn bedposts; the bench in front of it is also a vintage find from Soap and Salvation. The walls are painted simply in ‘White Truffle’ from Francesca’s Paints. The table lamp is from Samarkand and its lampshade is the scallop cotton scrunchie style from Alice Palmer. The ceiling light is vintage, sourced from Retrouvius and the delightful pink pillows are Heidi cushions from online homeware store Huddle Collection.
Chris Snook14/25In the corner of the bedroom, a cosy vintage chair found at Kempton market has been reupholstered by John Haswell in Colefax & Fowler’s ‘Seaweed’ with a ‘circus piping’ trim from Christopher Farr. The cushion is a bespoke creation made from Howe’s ‘Cypress linen’ in ‘cocoa’. The chair sits on a vintage Swedish rug from Surrey-based interiors and lifestyle shop Split Figs. A vintage chest of drawers with its charming scuffs and marks has knobs from Matilda Goad.
Chris Snook15/25The ‘Crackle’ wallpaper from Jean Monro also alludes to nature with its design inspired by coral. The headboard is a custom design and was made and upholstered by John Haswell in fabric from Romo. The table lamp’s base is from Compton Marbling, while its shade is by Imogen Pope. The bedside table is a vintage find from Vinterior.
Chris Snook16/25The cupboard is painted in Edward Bulmer’s ‘Light Olive Green’, which helps give the room its soothing atmosphere. A vintage brass Chandelier from Agapanthus Interiors adds a little drama to the space without disturbing the calm. The vintage sofa was found on Lillie road and the rug, also vintage, is from Litten Tree Antiques.
Chris Snook17/25A vintage desk from Pato Interiors sits in the corner of the room, while a charmingly weathered armoire from Vintage on the Vine stands opposite the bed. A romantic pendant lamp – ‘Tiffany ruffle’ from Beauvamp – hangs above.
Chris Snook18/25This sleek, neat bedside table is the ‘Empire ribbed console’ from Scumble Goosie. The sculptural wall light is the ‘Carrick leaf’ Sconces from Vaughan, with a shade from Birdie Fortescue. The green colour scheme continues but here it is Edward Bulmer’s ‘Tea Green’, inspired by tea leaves.
Chris Snook19/25Panelled walls in ‘Sand Dune by Rose Uniacke coupled with ‘Honey’ handmade tiles by Milagros bring warmth to this bathroom. The walls and ceiling are painted in Atelier Ellis's ‘Beginnings’, providing a very complementary neutral.
Chris Snook20/25A vintage clam shell sink from Bohome Interiors brings a touch of whimsy, its striations almost mirrored by the pleats in the wall lights from Original BTC. The bespoke mirror was designed by Vaughan Design to fit a de-mister heat pad behind it.
Chris Snook21/25The rosy pink hue of this second bath room comes from the Zelliges tiles from Mosaic Factory, bespoke Guy Goodfellow bath curtains made by Chloe Jonason and the coral floor tiles from Otto. Cutting Edge joinery made the vanity which Vaughan Design's designed. The shower fixture is from the Cast Iron Bath Company and the bath itself from Aston Matthews.
Chris Snook22/25The wall lights are the ‘Hexagon Swan’ models from Old School Electric.
Chris Snook23/25A freestanding cast iron bath from The Cast Iron Bath Company sits elegantly in the corner by the windows with brass taps from Rutland. The wife is fond of antiques and Holly searched from Paris to the UK for great finds such as this vintage side table from Ardingly market. The floor tiles are the Noce tumbled travertine tiles from Floors of Stone; the wall tiles are from Marlborough tiles and the white and brown ones are from Victorian Ceramics. The walls have been painted in Edward Bulmer’s ‘Cinnamon’.
Chris Snook24/25Another custom vanity designed by Vaughan Design and made by Cutting Edge Joinery. The backsplash tiles are Feild’s ‘Arabesque’. Dainty ‘Portico’ scalloped wall lights from lights.co.uk hang either side of the bespoke mirror, which was made by a local glazier and customised with a tiled border using tiles from Victorian Ceramics.
Chris Snook25/25The wonderfully curved coffee table is a vintage piece sourced from Retrouvius. The rug is also vintage, from Natalia Violet Antiques. Love Your Home’s 'Ottilie' sofa and a vintage rocking chair from Four Quarters Home provide seating spots. The room has been painted in Atelier Ellis’ ‘Lark’ and a quaint patterned wall trim made from Common Room’s ‘Ivy Chaplet’ wallpaper brings a delightful surprise. The beautiful ceiling light is an antique piece found at Petworth.
