Wealden Times | WT170 | April 2016 | Garden supplement inside

Above: Tucked away down a discreet staircase at the back of the house, there is every wine-lover’s dream; a vast, cool cellar built from brick and stone, where
Julian keeps a prized collection of wine. A rustic table is the perfect spot for Julian and fellow wine-lovers to sample favourite wines
shared bathroom with pretty pearly pink and purple
Fired Earth tiles. Top of Philippa’s wish list was a
window seat and a bedside table, while all Katie
wanted was a secret hideaway. All wishes were met.
As the girls have grown up, both rooms have been
redecorated, Philippa’s in cool shades of white and
taupe and Katie’s with splashes of purple. But the
bedside tables – made by the joiners – and the window
seats are still there. As are the walk-in cupboards
which made perfect secret hideaways in their day and
have now morphed into stylish walk-in wardrobes.
Although there is a wet room off the master bedroom,
the master bathroom is on the second floor for the
simple reason that Helena and Julian wanted to be able
to lie in the bath and gaze up at the stars. Choosing
the bath, which would be very much centre stage, was
a big decision and after much research they opted for a
classic Porcelanosa white bath which sits in magnificent
splendour on a plinth in the middle of the room under a
skylight. Everything else has been paired down to create a
modern, minimalist feel. As bathrooms go, it really works.
Having finished building a house on this scale, most
people would sit back and consider the job done, but
there was one more project pending – a walled garden.
So back came SEDAC, who built the house and of whom
the Carsons can’t speak highly enough, and the bones of
the garden and greenhouse were built. Grant Brickell of
The Wellingham Walled Herb Garden then came to sort
out paths and beds. Today it looks like something that
is hundreds of years old, an absolute pleasure to behold,
and provides vegetables, fruit and flowers for the house.
Visiting the house today you would never imagine
it was a new-build. Covered in creepers and roses
it looks like it has been there a long time and has
certainly met all the dreams and inspirations that
the family drew up when they set out on their own
Grand Design. Ah yes, Julian’s ‘must have’.
Finally, we went down some less-polished stairs at
the back of the house to the most amazing wine cellar,
built out of brick and stone with a dusty old table
and chairs where Julian and his oeonophile friends
will no doubt have spent many happy hours.
115 www.wealdentimes.co.uk
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