Wealden Times | WT178 | December 2016 | Interiors supplement inside

out: “We’ve tuned this house to how we want to live
as a family,” says Tim, who converted the barn into a
home office and a space where the family could “play
games and loud music”. Stables, a pretty greenhouse and
a home cinema have also been added over the years.
Tim was a television producer for over 30 years and
his eldest son is a film director, so the home cinema isn’t
purely a luxury. It came about when the couple were rebuilding
and enlarging their garage and were left with a
large roof space: “When Eve suggested a home cinema,
I needed no more encouragement than that,” says Tim.
“I could visualise the Empire Leicester Square on a small
scale. And that’s what we tried to do.... for nine people!”
The home cinema is also especially popular at Christmas:
“The two younger children have what they call pyjama
days, where they come downstairs, grab something to
eat, grab a handful of films and head over to the cinema.
They’ll then reappear when they’re hungry, fill up a
plate and go and watch more films,” chuckles Tim.
As we head indoors, through a timber-framed hallway
full of wellies and outdoor jackets hung on pegs, it’s easy
to see how lovely this house must be at Christmas. Tim
agrees: “The children, who now all live in London, hold
this house in such deep affection... They gravitate
Previous page: Looking from the book room into the snug. The
angels are from the Singing Soul Gallery in Cranbrook Above
right: They bought the Fornasetti cushion online Above left:
Tim and Eve’s collection of vintage children’s books Right: A
painting by Rosalind Lyons Hudson
91 wealdentimes.co.uk