Interiors
Pattern & Purpose
Interior designer Justine Hodgson-Barker was tasked with creating a rural retreat for a couple who divide their time between town and country, taking into account their love of fabrics, texture and colour Down a leafy lane, in the picturesque middle...
Natural Blend
Recipe developer and cookery teacher Charlotte Butterworth’s house is centred around her spacious Neptune kitchen, where she has created a new heart for this impressively proportioned family home Sometimes, when buying a house, it’s all about a feeling. You’ve only...
Creative Influence
Nicki Cox’s sublimely curated home is a real showcase of her talent for combining artwork and texture in her interesting interiors “I instinctively knew how I was going to decorate this house,” says interior designer Nicki Cox, the owner of...
Through the looking glass
A magical lodge nestles amid ancient woodland, creating a perfect haven – with minimal impact on the precious environment In the many years I’ve been writing about lovely houses for this magazine, there has been one constant: the outside is...
In the Frame
An art-filled house overlooking Alexandra Park in Hastings has provided the perfect living space for a couple who split their time between two properties in this creative town Camilla Ruiz Ramirez is a textile designer who was previously based in...
Interior with real identity
Justine Hodgson-Barker’s personality-led approach to interior design has ensured the success of her interiors business. Here she shows us inside her own home which epitomises her love of combining different eras and styles to great effect On the day I...
An Artists’ Retreat
Creative couple Alexa and Robin Easterby have escaped the city to turn their lockdown relocation into a thriving artists’ community that continues to flourish The serious desire to change their lives and focus on new creative endeavours was one of...
Up A Level
Fancy a trip to the seaside? The redesign of a much-loved family holiday home near Dungeness has resulted in a coastal escape with all the mod cons you could hope for Simon Tyler is a person who, ‘enjoys a project’....
Two Pocketfuls of Rye
Sisters Cherry and Heather formed the perfect partnership to revamp a pair of historic cottages in Rye’s picturesque Citadel Rye Citadel, sitting up on the hill above Romney Marsh, is a medieval high point in a sheep-speckled landscape that was...
Camber Caper
Step inside Dixie Daydream, a caravan with an interior that’s a riot of colour and pattern, a stone’s throw from the beach Something about the British seaside encourages us to let our hair down, throw caution to the wind and...
Style Council
Angie Bunyan has lavished a terraced cottage in the heart of Rye with her signature look that has cemented her success as an interior designer Style can come in all shapes and sizes. To be a great designer it’s often...
Cool-on-sea
A Rye-based couple have succeeded in turning an aesthetically challenged 1980s bungalow into the coolest beach house The outside of this building is so unprepossessing, you’d hardly notice it, strolling along the sandy track that leads from the main road...
It’s a Colourful Life
Bedroom designer Evelyn M Lindley describes her journey to realise her creative passion, sharing how she incorporates playful colour into her dark-toned interiors I did something quite exciting recently, well I thought it was exciting. I did my first ever...
Something Blue
Amanda Lafontant, senior designer at Aston Matthews, explains how she transformed this family bathroom into an elegant retreat Creating a family bathroom in a period property is always a challenge. The bathroom needs to function, but there are also architectural...
Boys Own Adventure
A Kentish lass and her husband have restored a historic house near Ashford to create a magical dream of a hotel Well, this was a new experience. All the houses I’ve had the pleasure to visit for this magazine are...
New Tricks
We explore the Canham family’s kitchen, a barn conversion transformation that mixes traditional touches with modern a twist to make a truly timeless space The Canham’s kitchen was once a cow shed and haybarn, but it’s now a bright, modern...
The house on the hill
With the help of a practice of skilled architects, the Elms have succeeded in creating a stunning multi-functional family space that works in perfect harmony with both their professional and home lives Garry and Camilla Elms had first glimpsed the...
Finding the light
Alex Jørgensen guides us around his Edwardian townhouse, a renovation project that he’s managed to complete in just one year It was a Monday in November and despite some unseasonably good weather recently, the rain had settled in today. Nevertheless...
The best laid plans
The Surrey Homes house writer shows us round her own home – which didn’t turn out as she expected, but better The whole reason we were moving was to get a ‘social kitchen’ like all the lovely ones I’ve seen...
Escape to the Country
The refurbishment of an elegant Georgian farmhouse has been a labour of love for talented interior designer Jessica Bax The solution was to build a new side entrance connected to a spacious central corridor, linking the smaller rooms either side...
Welcome to the Fun House
Justin and Imogen open the doors to their fabulously cool renovation project, tucked away behind the shops in Rye High Street It takes a brave man, or woman, to leave the buzz of East London for a quiet coastal town...
Take me to church
Jane Robinson has worked with the unusual fabric of a former church to create a comfortable and stylish family home Church conversions can be tricky. The windows – although beautiful and large – are a peculiar shape and size,...
Living Over The Shop
A creative couple found the perfect spot for their home – and their boutique – in the very centre of Hastings In a first for all the many (lovely) houses I have written about for this magazine, my visit to...
’Twas Brillig
A family home over a shop in St Leonards is as otherworldly as its Lewis Carroll-inspired name The first time I noticed the name painted over the windows of a new shop in St Leonards’ London Road, (right by my...
Art of the Home
There’s more to interior designer Charlotte Luxford’s suburban semi than meets the eye, with its charming, art-filled interiors – not to mention the view On the face of it, Charlotte Luxford’s 1930s home in central Sevenoaks is much like any...
Symmetry & Balance
This Kentish kitchen beautifully balances warm and cool, industrial and elegant, modern and classic The owners of this new build property in Kent, already had plans and designs created with an alternative high-end kitchen manufacturer, when they stumbled across Poggenpohl’s...
Colour Theory
The inspiring bathrooms of a Sussex manor show how to embrace vibrant colour This magnificent Georgian manor house in rural Sussex has undergone extensive renovation work in recent years, benefitting from Catchpole & Rye’s distinct brand of luxury in both...
Past is Present
Miscellanea show us how to breathe new life into a historical kitchen while respecting and enhancing original features What was the brief behind this project? Our clients’ main criteria was that as well as being fully functioning – offering all...
Dark & Interesting
A former shop in Horsham has been given a complete makeover by creative couple Calum and Jen No one wanted to buy it,” Jen says of the beautiful period home in Horsham that she and husband Calum have lived in...
Designer’s World
We speak to Ben Stokes – founder of KAGU in Tenterden – about his opinions on the latest trends, life as an interior designer, and design process What inspires you? Everything and anything. I love staying at hotels, drawing inspiration...
Changing Rooms
Berni and Peter Leach constantly tweak and switch up their house in Hastings Old Town – and their wonderful shop too The usual set-up for interviewing people about their beautiful houses for this magazine is one-on-one, because in the vast...
Natural Identity
A unique family home – which also doubles up as an impressive holiday rental through Bloom Stays – caters for the needs of multiple generations in the idyllic Kent countryside “I am lucky to have a job that takes me...
Past, Present, Perfect
The renovation of an early nineteenth century house was a labour of love for Caroline, Stephen and their family, who strove to keep the integrity of the building, whilst sensitively updating the interior for modern living If you’ve found an...
Time To Shine
Liz Cruttenden has updated a much loved listed family home with her own skilled eye for interior design I’m not sure why this is, but country dwellers seem to use the back, or side entrances, to their homes rather than...
The G Plan Clan
A 20th century house in Rye has been made over with fabulous mid-century flair – groovy, baby In recent times, the ancient town of Rye has become something of a centre for home style, with lots of fabulous shops and...
Wild at Heart
Wedding florist, Becky Morris, celebrates the glories of the natural world in her village family house The morning drive through the springtime High Weald countryside, to this house in the village of Mayfield, is one of the most beautiful I’ve...
The New Contemporary
We explore Mill House, a project that demonstrates a new wave of contemporary family kitchens Inglis Hall, known for their honest and authentic approach to crafting kitchens, was the perfect choice to create a truly modern kitchen in which contemporary...
Plum’s the word
Ligneous Kitchens show us around one of their favourite projects From its clean, sleek lines to the spacious island and luxurious use of materials, this kitchen belongs on your moodboard if you’re inspired by modern minimalism. What was this kitchen’s...
Super Tiling!
We ask three industry experts what trends to look out for in bathrooms Time for Terracotta “Terracotta is a real trend, warm, organic, and full of character. But natural terracotta is rather absorbent, so not ideal for wet areas. Fortunately,...
Maker’s Motif
Relocating from Surrey to Kent, Alec and Sarah stumbled upon a beautiful barn conversion – not a style that they had been on the hunt for – and fell in love with its space and character Frittenden, that pretty village...
Quiet Command
A family home that keeps things cool, calm and collected Sometimes it’s not what you put into a house that makes it special – but what you leave out. In the Staplehurst home of interior decorator Esther Bauer and her...
See my vision
Meet Reinhard Alexander Weiss, director of 3s, the architects behind this award-winning Greek paradise Can you tell us about a memorable project that you’ve worked on? As well as individual houses in the UK, we sometimes design holiday homes abroad....
Finding the Plot
So you’ve decided to set out on the adventure of building your dream home. Step one, before you can begin designing and building, is finding your land. SJD tell us how When should I think about using a professional land...
Case Study: Prefabulous
We find out what goes into building an eco-friendly, low-energy home like this Sussex prefab haven A luxury Baufritz villa sitting on the edge of the South Downs National Park, built using pioneering, prefabricated construction technology. Skyhouse Sussex is...
Easy being Green
Mark Sait, CEO and founder of sustainability and money-saving experts, SaveMoneyCutCarbon (SMCC) shares advice for building new homes or doing renovations in a way that will benefit the planet and your bank balance The placement of the thermostat has a...
Follow the leader
We talk to Neilson Projects, a long-established property consultant practice to find out what makes a project manager so valuable What are the benefits of hiring a project manager? Most clients begin their focus on the intricate design of...
What’s the plan?
The experts at SJM Planning explain how a planning advisor can assist your project Why hire a planning consultant? Anyone can make a planning application to a local planning authority, but the application process system can be very challenging and...
Meet the Trade: Managing Director of Brook Security Limited
Meet Terry Roffey, Managing Director of Brook Security Limited What do you specialise in? Brook Security has a wealth of knowledge and experience in creating layered security solutions. We specialise in the design, installation, maintenance and monitoring of electronic security...
