Tucked into a sun-drenched fold of the East Sussex countryside, interior designer Danielle Proud’s remarkable oasthouse home has been created as a stylish stage for entertaining, celebrations and unforgettable family moments. Over the past decade, Danielle has lovingly transformed this former teacher’s residence – once part of a former boarding school estate – into a soulful and very sociable space.

Today, the property is not only the family home, where Danielle is raising her three children, but is also available for others to enjoy for weekend getaways and memorable milestone events as well as glamorous film and fashion shoots.

The approach to the house sets the tone for a true escapist dream. A meandering half-mile long driveway transports guests to their getaway destination, with what has often been proclaimed as “the best view in Sussex.” The landscape is breathtaking, sweeping across what is known locally as ‘Kipling Valley’ and the house, a horseshoe configuration of traditional oast roundels, sits in thirteen acres of stunning landscaped gardens that evoke Mediterranean elegance with a playful English twist.

But this house wasn’t always a photogenic dream. “It was very, very old fashioned when we bought it. Peach carpets, floral curtains, photographs of the Queen… pretty far away from what it looks like now!” laughs Danielle. What followed was a painstaking process of reimagining a modern family home, without changing its footprint. Walls came down, glazing went up and a contemporary space was created, one filled with light which now pours through Crittall doors and windows. Character, fun, style and plenty of Danielle’s signature design wit is apparent throughout, a look which she calls, ‘part Hollywood Regency, part retro Mediterranean.’

At the heart of Danielle’s stunning and very special home is an expansive kitchen-dining-living space, designed with togetherness in mind. “I had young kids when we moved in,” she recalls. “I didn’t want to be working away in a separate room, missing the action and not having my eyes on them.” So, Danielle created the perfect family space.

Open plan, drenched in light, with windows and doors wrapped around the space opening on one side to a central pool and the other, extensive gardens. She created a modern stylish kitchen in engineered oak cabinetry with micro-cement surfaces, offering both texture and durability.

On the walls, soft plaster tones bring a sense of modern femininity and a large 70s style sofa and chairs offer a sumptuous seating area. The space is packed with vintage touches such as brass detailing, smoked glass, a stunning vintage brass palm tree standard lamp (sourced from a dealer in Berlin), and a huge leopard print rug, reminiscent of what Danielle calls ‘Joan Collins-era glamour.’

Danielle – who now designs interiors for both homes and restaurants, was the former interiors expert on This Morning and had her own interiors TV show called House Proud – truly has design in her DNA. “We are a very sociable family,” she says. “Friends just love to stay here, the house has a very welcoming atmosphere… one friend ended up living with us for three months!

My kids are all here and so are their friends – we are that house,” she laughs. “We have always been the place where everyone seems to gravitate to and I really love that.”
That ethos of entertaining and community is embedded into Danielle’s design handwriting. A look and a layout that encourage flow and connection – courtyards that create microclimates, outdoor terraces dubbed ‘the VIP area’ for grown-ups seeking calm above the joyful chaos and, at its centre, a fabulous summer pool party.

The swimming pool, in fact, stands at the centre of the home’s spirit of pure joie de vivre. Set in a Mediterranean-style courtyard garden, surrounded by roses, palms and white-washed walls, it feels more Ibiza finca than Kent farmhouse. “It’s brilliant for families,” Danielle says. “You can see the pool from almost every room, so you always know where the kids are. There are loads of different areas outside, so you can follow the sun, or get away from the hubbub!” It’s just one example of how the house marries style with substance.

Practicality and playfulness go hand in hand – spiral staircases that echo Brutalist icons (think Guggenheim) and cosy hideaway corridors that spark hide-and-seek adventures. Once Danielle had a slide built, running from the rooftop terrace directly into the pool, as a birthday surprise for her eldest son.
Inside, the mood shifts gracefully from high voltage glamour to whimsical. The circular library, once a series of fussy small rooms, now houses bespoke steel-framed bookshelves, packed with the latest fiction and non-fiction tomes. Florida-sourced Hollywood Regency furnishings sit with bespoke sofas and stylish rugs and cushions. A round dining room, another part of the former oast, houses walls decorated with Danielle’s own wallpaper design: a geometric Art Deco print that nods to Eastern influences. Here, Danielle has managed to effortlessly combine chinoiserie with Sputnik chandeliers and antique cabinetry.

Throughout the house, Danielle’s knack for layering high and low, vintage and contemporary, is on full display. “It’s all about balance,” she explains. “I’ve got mid-century lamps from Berlin next to Graham & Green chairs and auction finds from Ardingly and Battle alongside custom-made pieces.” This mix lends the home its rich, idiosyncratic personality – opulent but never overdone. Upstairs, the aesthetic softens into a palette of seafoam greens, warm blushes and velvety textures.
The main bedroom suite, enveloped with French doors and a soaring double height ceiling, has a large Gucci print feature wall, which feels like a huge watercolour painting has come to life. A dressing area, spacious en suite bathroom with hand-applied tile effects, and a Juliette balcony, overlooking the magnolia tree filled gardens, complete the suite’s sense of indulgence. “It’s a peaceful space,” Danielle says. “You wake up and see the sunrise from one side and the pool and gardens from the other – it’s magic.”

The house offers guests seven stylish bedrooms in total and multiple family and en suite bath and shower rooms, making it ideal for group stays, retreats or big family weekends. Guest rooms are finished with the same sense of creativity – think Marilyn Monroe prints, green onyx lamps, cork fabric covered custom-built beds – all framed by ever-present glimpses of the surrounding greenery.
Then there’s the party room. Hidden at the end of the house, via a light drenched orangery that offers yet another dining area (and off that, a gym/sauna) the party room comes as a surprise – a vast, almost village-hall-style space with vintage glass chandeliers and wall lights, mirrored backdrops and folding screens for privacy. It’s seen everything from Halloween discos to milestone birthdays and can just as easily host a wedding dinner or yoga retreat. “It’s totally flexible,” Danielle notes. “You can have long tables for dinner, a DJ, or turn it into a film set.” Outdoors, the fantasy continues. A pergola laced with vines offers shade over a summer dining area, while the ‘Beverly Hills’ banana print poolside loungers, Balinese umbrellas and blue and white striped Riviera-style awnings evoke Slim Aarons-style glamour. “I love the retro stripes,” she says. “It’s that touch of Palm Springs, cheeky, but elegant.” The gardens are a fantasy of form and function, blending classical rose beds with tropical palms and sculptural moments that feel like a scene in Alice in Wonderland.

A working kitchen garden produces herbs and salad greens all summer long and tucked behind one wing of the house is a secluded terrace and guest annexe – ideal for grandparents, a nanny, or couples seeking a bit of privacy during big group stays. “There’s even a kitchenette and a little bath up there,” Danielle points out, “so you could stay there without ever needing to come into the main house, which is great if you have small people needing their daytime naps!”
It’s no surprise the house is attracting interest as an exclusive weekend and holiday let as well as an in-demand film location. With its eclectic elegance, effortless flow and sense of play, it’s the kind of home that adapts to its guests – offering space to gather, celebrate, or simply be. “It’s a house that’s been lived in and loved and has seen so much fun,” Danielle says. “And now, I love the idea of other people getting to enjoy it too. It’s really a very special house, and it makes me very happy to see it bringing fun to other people.”