In September 2019 home and giftware store DickieBird sprung open its brightly coloured doors to Battle and with it, a family began their new chapter. Nestled behind printed pots, neon candles, striped mugs, patterned rugs, bags and rainbow pom-poms, lies a home that feels every bit as characterful as Tam Dickie, the shop’s owner. Part café, part treasure trove, walk through the boutique and you will discover a kaleidoscopic love affair with colour, pattern and personality, a shop that has fast become a local retail landmark.

Wrapped around the shop is the family’s five-bedroom home, an historic house that reveals the same joyful, fun and unpretentious aesthetic as the shop: a world of prints, plants, bright textiles, wooden floors and oak beams that all tell their own story. “I think we were always destined to end up in a place like this,” says Tam, who moved with her husband Ed and three of their four children, Bruno, Reuben and Olive, from Upper Dicker. “We’d been living near Lewes, but Ed runs a school over in Bodiam and the daily drive was getting a bit ridiculous. We wanted to be closer to his work and I really wanted a shop and so we started looking for somewhere that could be both.

They found it, almost by accident, when a large, Grade II listed property with a shopfront came up for sale in Battle. “Ed said absolutely not, when it was first muted, as he didn’t think he wanted to live in Battle,” Tam laughs. “So, I came on my own with my mum, loved it, but thought perhaps it was too big – the house is pretty large and there’s a one-bedroom flat and then the shop is deceptively big. Ed came on his own, rang me afterwards and said, ‘I love it! Let’s move to Battle!’” With that, the decision was made. The family jumped across the A22 and moved in just before lockdown in early 2019.

Inside, the house is far larger than it appears from the street: five bedrooms, two bathrooms, a huge open-plan kitchen, dining area and light-filled conservatory, a cosy wood-panelled living room with vast inglenook fireplace, plus a separate one-bedroom flat next door. “It’s got that slightly rambling feel that you only get in old buildings,” Tam says. “There are beams everywhere, and it’s all slightly uneven, with lots of quirks, which I totally love.”

Downstairs, through a doorway, tucked in a corner of the shop, the atmosphere shifts from the hum of customers’ conversations and the in-demand coffee machine, to the daily chaos of family life. The kitchen, centred around a well-loved wooden island, is pure Tam: practical yet full of whimsy, where citrus fruits sit next to hanging plants, a disco mirror ball hangs atop a bread bin, with bold pops of colour wherever the eye lands. Around the sink Tam has painted the walls bright acid yellow, the cupboard doors are a mixture of yellow and a soft baby pink, a look Tam discovered whilst following her friend’s travels around Mexico, via Instagram – a source for much of her interior design style and also a place where she has discovered many of the artists that she now stocks in her shop. “We haven’t really done much to the house structurally,” she says. “Just the bathrooms, and a lot of paint! It was quite neutral when we came, all beige and cream. Now, it feels more like us.”

A cook’s kitchen, filled with Kitchen Aid appliances, bottles of oils and jars of spices, opens onto a conservatory, a later addition, that Tam thinks was probably done in the 1980s, which now floods the space with light. “There’s always light in here, and somewhere for the dogs to sit.” From the conservatory you can see straight into the garden that nestles behind the house. Between the two areas is a large well-loved pine dining table, surrounded by contemporary dining chairs from Ikea, bright artwork and yet more houseplants, that punctuate the original oak beams. A set of turntables on the sideboard nod to the family’s love of music (Ed used to run a reggae sound system as a student). The effect is bright and fun, like a three-dimensional mood board of Tam and her family’s life. Tam’s husband Ed also uses the kitchen table as his workspace in the evenings. “He’s there every night marking schoolwork or emailing,” she says affectionately.

During lockdown, when their children and their partners were at home, the house was bursting at the seams. “There were eight of us living here at one point,” Tam recalls. “But actually, it was a lovely time. As we had to shut the shop and of course school was closed. I was doing the website for the shop, Ed was cooking – he’s an amazing cook – and everyone else mucked in. It felt busy, but warm, much like this house.

Beyond the main living space, the conservatory, its woodwork painted bright green, links to the garden – a jumble of pots, herbs and geraniums. “I’m a terrible gardener,” Tam confesses. “Every year I buy loads of geraniums and then forget to water them, but I love how they look.” Inside, however, the houseplants thrive. “I’ve got a friend who’s a plant expert – she comes round when they start to die,” she jokes.

Tam’s own background is in hospitality rather than retail. “My parents ran a restaurant when I was growing up – we lived upstairs and the restaurant was downstairs,” she recalls. “So, this whole setup feels very familiar to me, with a shop and house next door. I think that’s why the café element of the shop came so naturally. I’ve always loved that sense of community – people popping in for coffee, chatting, perhaps buying a candle or a card on their way out. It keeps the place alive and relevant.” The café-shop combination has turned out to be more than just a charming addition to Battle’s high street; it’s the foundation of its success. “If I just sold homeware, I think this place would be a very different vibe,” Tam admits. “But people will always come in for a flat white and a chat, and then they see something they like. That’s the magic of it.”

The shop, which takes its name from Tam’s own surname, is a riot of joyful design. “I’m not really sure where the bird thing came from,” she smiles. “Maybe because I’m a woman and it was quite funny, and we’re called Dickie – so we got to DickieBird! People ask if it’s to do with the cricket commentator, but it isn’t really. It just felt right.” The shop is crammed full of an irresistible mix of striped mugs, neon candles, recycled glassware, cards and prints. “I don’t really have a style as such,” she says. “Everything here is just something I love.”
That same philosophy spills over into the house, where colour and wit are threaded through every room.

Sofas in the sitting room and conservatory are brightened with striped cushions and woven kilims in bold rainbow hues with colourful patterned rugs throughout. The walls are hung with a mix of graphic prints by artists such as Margo in Margate, Tabby Booth, Dandy Star, Lucky Budgie and Petra Boase, alongside vintage finds and family mementoes. “Customers always ask, ‘Is your house like the shop?’ and I used to say no,” Tam grins. “But the kids would pipe up and say, ‘Yes, it is!’ And they’re probably right.”
The cosy sitting room to the front of the house is focused on the huge brick inglenook fireplace and a log burner. “It gets so hot in winter that everyone ends up stripping off their jumpers,” Tam laughs. “It’s a real family room.” Candles, plants and little treasures are dotted around – proof that this is a home, made for living. “Before I opened the shop, I used to knit and do cross-stitch,” she says, pointing to a brightly coloured upholstered stool. “Now I never have the time – the shop’s become my creative outlet.”

Upstairs, the bedrooms, like the downstairs, reveal Tam’s love of colour and print with pops of green, yellow, neon pink and orange across cushions and throws and of course the artwork that Tam has collected across her walls. “We’ve done all the decorating ourselves,” says Tam. “In our old house I painted entire rooms dark green or blue, but I realised I don’t have the energy to keep changing things. So now the walls are mostly neutral, and I bring in colour with art, textiles and furniture. It’s so much easier to switch around.”
The bathrooms are equally cheerful. “We took out the old ones when we moved in,” Tam explains. “They needed a bit of an update – it was the one major bit of work that we did. Now they’re both bright and functional – nothing fancy, but they make me happy, although for some reason all my kids want to use my en suite shower room as they think that it’s cosy and warm!” That philosophy, of home as somewhere deeply lived-in and full of joy, runs through everything Tam does.

The house itself has a deep sense of continuity, a layering of lives and stories. Before the Dickie family arrived, it was owned by a local artist, Stan Rosenthal, whose colourful paintings once filled the shop space. “It feels right that we’ve kept that creative energy going,” says Tam. “When we first moved in, I didn’t even realise I loved colour as much as I do. But now it’s everywhere.”
There’s a strong sense of family woven through the décor. Old photographs and prints of Edinburgh (where they met) sit alongside Tam’s cousin Zebedee Helm’s witty illustrations – who also designed the DickieBird shop logo. The entrance hallway is hung with colour charts from Hasting’s paint shop Colorville that Tam has framed and turned into art prints. “I love that kind of thing,” Tam says. “Stuff that isn’t precious, but it makes me smile.”
The original features, brick walls, oak beams, the wide plank floors and heavy timber doors – have been left untouched. “You can’t do much anyway because it’s listed,” Tam explains. Up some more stairs is an amazing full height attic space, that spans the entire building. “It’s a bit leaky and we haven’t really needed to go up there much, as there’s enough space down here, but my architect friend always says old houses need to breathe, so I take that as permission not to worry about it too much!” What’s striking is how authentic and genuine the whole space feels. A working family house that just happens to be packed with charm and personality. “It’s a bit chaotic sometimes,” Tam admits. “But I’d rather have that than perfect. Everything here tells a story.”

When asked how she would describe her style, she pauses. “Colourful for sure. Eclectic definitely and maybe slightly mad,” she laughs. “I just buy what I love. If it’s green, pink, yellow or striped, I’m probably going to want it.” Her eye for joyful design has created something that feels both curated and spontaneous – a home and shop that both radiate warmth, humour and authenticity. Looking ahead, Tam dreams of sourcing more pieces directly from makers abroad. “I went to Morocco last year, and I’m off to India soon,” she says. “Ed’s excited about the idea of bringing things back for the shop. I think that will be the next step – to buy straight from the people who make them. But it has to fit around the family, the dogs, the kids, the house. It’s all connected.” And that, perhaps, is what makes this place so special. In a world of polished perfection, Tam’s home and shop feel refreshingly personal – proof that style, comfort and creativity, can happily coexist. The floors creak, the candles flicker, the coffee machine hums, and somewhere two dogs are padding across the painted floorboards. It’s a home that feels lived, loved, and gloriously alive.

Address Book:
You may have seen Tam and her team at Wealden Times Midwinter Fair in November. To find out more about
DickieBird Homestore, and keep up to date with the latest stock, see dickiebirdhomestore.co.uk and
Instagram @dickiebirdhomestore