Wealden Times | WT173 | July 2016 | Interiors supplement inside

Above: The play room and snug shares the woodburner with the ‘adults’ living room nextdoor. Hidden cupboards, built by Martine and Andrew’s carpenter,
Greg, on either side of the flat screen television, help to keep things tidy while the bright carpet and Union Jack storage trunk add colour and a sense of fun
by a silver-shaded Kartell Bourgie table lamp. Max’s room
is suitably grown up, tastefully reflecting his interests. On
one wall framed above his pine chest of drawers is one of
Ben Ainslie’s sailing caps and, on the other, above the bed,
flanking the window, are two action prints of downhill
racers. At the foot of the bed is an ancient pine chest. The
headboard is in Design Forum fabric and the smart desk
is Ikea. Oli’s room is above the kitchen extension, down a
corridor off which opens a roof terrace. Here too, we find
evidence of his budding interest in downhill – a framed
English Alpine Championships poster. Here Greg Buchan
has again woven his magic and created great chalet-style
oak bunk beds. And how many eight-year-olds have their
own elegant marble-lined bathroom?
“There was considerable discussion as to whether this
should be the guest room or Oli’s room,” says Martine
“but in the end Andrew won the day and Oli’s it is.”
And of course, he’s a very lucky young man. Indeed,
you might say that they are a very lucky family to have
had access to such a wealth of stunning sources for their
renovation and, of course, you’d be right. But to put their
success down merely to ease of access is like dismissing the
joy of the Sistine Chapel just because Micheangelo already
had a paintbox. It’s not merely access to the right raw
materials that’s key in any project but the vision you
bring to their use.
And it’s because of this vision that they are really lucky.
But perhaps, when it comes to beating serious odds, of
having that little white ball drop lazily into red 19, not
quite as lucky as their house.
75 www.wealdentimes.co.uk