Interiors

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...

Symmetrical double aspect doors lead off the hallway and into a study on one side (above) and a family room on the other

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...

Case Study: Restoration

Two projects running in tandem on joined properties provided an irresistible challenge for LJ Fletcher Builders What was the project brief? We were actually working on two joined properties at once, so we had two sets of clients, both...

Beam us up!

Many an old English home is filled with glorious characterful beams, but this also means that, for rejuvinating an old property, beam restoration is often top of the to-do list. We have spoken to A T Palmer Ltd, specialists in...

New Shores

Social worker Ashia Redhead explains how her house renovation has been the outlet for her creative energy, embellishing her passion for interiors and antiques into a warm family home with character It was the start of the hottest weekend of...

Dressed to Thrill

Artist and designer Louise Hamlin-Wright’s vibrant home is a wonderful riot of colour, pattern and craft I drive straight past Louise and John’s house. I think I’m looking for a larger or more outlandish building. Turning around, I see that...

Kitchen Drama

Interior designer Ben Stokes’ family cottage, painted in deep, rich shades and accessorised with natural woods and sumptuous textiles, is a wonderful example of the bold transformation of a small space There’s no introduction to this three storey cottage....

New Victorian

Driven by a love of colour and vintage, Sarah Hazebroek has stamped her signature style on a Victorian cottage, whilst her passion for interiors paid off during lockdown with the creation of her home accessories range, Huddle Collection Situated right...

Felix designed and made the sculptural bent wood kitchen light

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