Backing straight onto the River Rother with uninterrupted views across the salt marshes, the unique collection of buildings that creative director and film-maker John Carver and branding and personal curator Anna Carloss call home are testament to the couple’s creative backgrounds.
TESTOne of Cache’s beautifully presented bespoke coffee table books
TESTMore of John’s artworks, made in collaboration with artist Luke Hannam, hang in a downstairs bedroom above a pair of vintage water skis
TESTSheets of weathered corrugated metal on one wall contrast with the floor-to-ceiling wooden panelling
TESTOne of Cache’s beautifully presented bespoke coffee table books
TESTOutside, there are two timber decks, both with tables and chairs to eat out on. The deck outside the guest cabin has an outdoor ping pong table and an adjacent fire bowl, surrounded by tree trunk stools. For even closer river watching, there’s a large jetty at high tide level
TESTOutside, there are two timber decks, both with tables and chairs to eat out on. The deck outside the guest cabin has an outdoor ping pong table and an adjacent fire bowl, surrounded by tree trunk stools. For even closer river watching, there’s a large jetty at high tide level
TESTIf Chandler’s Reach sounds like a bit of a boy zone – you are not far off it. The interiors of all four buildings continue the theme of man-toys, with decorative features including vintage water skis, wooden canoes, framed posters for Steve McQueen movies and original art work for Ozzy Osbourne album covers
TESTCrisp white ceilings and floral bedlinen are the perfect foil for the rustic reclaimed wooden flooring and panelling
TESTThe couple put in a new kitchen with large drawers – instead of cupboards – fronted with American barn oak. The wood has been used to brilliant effect as facings on an off-the-peg kitchen, so it has a hand-built, rustic look
TESTThe lofty master bedroom features a balcony which looks out onto the river
TESTThe landing. Scarves are tied onto the bannisters, introducing pops of colour to an otherwise neutrally painted space
TESTA collection of vintage German pottery in warm shades of orange and red complements the honey-toned sideboard in the hallway downstairs Left: Artwork for Ozzy Osbourne’s album No Rest for the Wicked, for which John was Creative Director, is framed in an ornate gilded frame
TESTA collection of vintage German pottery in warm shades of orange and red complements the honey-toned sideboard in the hallway downstairs Left: Artwork for Ozzy Osbourne’s album No Rest for the Wicked, for which John was Creative Director, is framed in an ornate gilded frame
TESTThe bathroom walls are lined with an eclectic mix of artworks and photographs
TESTThe guest cabin is home to a group of six striking images that John created in collaboration with artist Luke Hannam. John takes the black and white photographs, then Luke paints over the top
TESTThe guest cabin is home to a group of six striking images that John created in collaboration with artist Luke Hannam. John takes the black and white photographs, then Luke paints over the top
TESTThe guest cabin is home to a group of six striking images that John created in collaboration with artist Luke Hannam. John takes the black and white photographs, then Luke paints over the top
TESTJohn and Anna built the guest cabin from scratch. Decorative tiles on either side of the bed were sourced by Anna from Emery et Cie in Belgium
TESTJohn and Anna built the guest cabin from scratch. Decorative tiles on either side of the bed were sourced by Anna from Emery et Cie in Belgium
TESTIn contrast to the bedrooms, the dining room features cladding running horizontally rather than vertically along the internal walls
TESTA life ring and vintage water skis allude to the property’s river setting
TESTGlass doors lead out from the sitting room and dining area onto a deck shaded by a pergola
TESTThe fireplace in the sitting room
TEST“John and I are both into the whole process of interior design,” says Anna. “Sometimes it’s a compromise, but it all works out.”
TESTA Luke Hannam painting hangs in the sitting room
TESTThe wilder side of John and Anna’s creativity comes out in their choice of artworks, with large scale original paintings – and some quirky eBay finds – in every room, mixed in with some very special photographs
TESTOutside, there are two timber decks, both with tables and chairs to eat out on. The deck outside the guest cabin has an outdoor ping pong table and an adjacent fire bowl, surrounded by tree trunk stools. For even closer river watching, there’s a large jetty at high tide level
- The guest cabin at Chandler’s Reach can be rented via holidaycottages.co.uk, where it is listed as ‘Cabin by the River’. holidaycottages.co.uk
- To find out more about Cache, visit cacheworldwide.com
- Starvecrow starvecrow.com
- Luke Hannam hannamandhannam.blogspot.co.uk
- words: Maggie Alderson
- pictures: David Merewether
- styling: Helen Bratby
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