Wealden Times | WT167 | January 2016 | Health & Beauty supplement inside

Above: The cosy attic bedroom, with a newly fitted en suite is reached via
steep ‘paddle stairs’, as sometimes seen on yachts Right: Ascending and
descending the stairs takes some practice
Montpellier, France, while the fireback is one of several
purchases from Symonds reclamation yard at Bethersden. It
is a fitting focal point for the living room, which contains a
mixture of antiques, many of which were bought from the
renowned antiques dealer, John Bly, as well as replica pieces
skilfully made by the Headcorn carpenter, Tim Smith.
A rustic wooden door to the right of the fireplace leads
to the dining room and the stairs. The dining room is
furnished with dark, period furniture – almost all from their
former home – including a refectory table and ladder-back
chairs from about 1780.
Despite the care that has gone into sourcing these
antiques, this is no showroom – and the room is regularly
used for lively dinner parties. A large, seemingly old,
maritime painting along the side wall gives a nod to the
couple’s sense of fun: “I said to the artist, Donald MacRead:
‘I want a picture of Nelson beating the French at sea,’ so he
knocked this up for me.”
Shallow stairs lead upstairs to the first floor, with a
gorgeous master bedroom, modern wet room and a
107 www.wealdentimes.co.uk