Wealden Times | WT178 | December 2016 | Interiors supplement inside

adding wood panelling, so that the children could watch
television while their parents enjoyed some quieter time.
Rarely has a snug been so worthy of its name. Dark red
flocked wallpaper, plush sofas and heavy curtains all give a
visual sense of snugness while a wood-burning stove does
the real work. Complementary pictures line the wall, two
with gilding that reflects the warm glow of the fire.
On the subject of art, it’s hard to find a picture in the
house that Tim can’t tell you about. It’s clear that he and
Eve are not only art enthusiasts but also keen supporters
of local artists: “We’ve got a number of paintings by the
late Frittenden artist Anne-Catherine Phillips and several
by Richard Adams, who’s from Playden just outside Rye,”
says Tim. I also notice a ceramic tiger on the mantelpiece
by local ceramic artist Marie Prett. “Yes, we’ve got lots of
things from Marie’s Singing Soul Gallery,” adds Eve.
Next door, in the book room, you’ll find artwork and
decoration in a more unusual form. Instead of wallpaper
depicting the spines of books, Tim and Eve have a wall
of children’s books, collected over many years from book
fairs, jumble sales and second hand bookshops: “They date
from about the First World War to about the mid 1950s,”
says Tim. “They have these fabulous illustrated spines, so
together they are a complete decoration in themselves.”
Opposite the book shelves is an enormous inglenook
fireplace, home to a blazing log fire. Unlike many such
fireplaces, it actually puts out some heat. “When we
light the big fire it just envelops the whole room,”
Above: The bathroom was recently refurbished by their builder friend, Steve Moss. Eve chose the wallpaper, by Colefax & Fowler,
because it looks as though it has been painted onto the wall
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