Surrey Homes | SH28 | February 2017 | Wedding supplement inside

Above: The studio features a wall of artwork that James and David have collected over the years, as James explains: “It’s very much
something we wanted to do in this room and I think it harks back to my graphic design days, when I was studying, and I wanted just
to have a mix of great pieces. The wall is work in progress and it always will be. We buy more pieces and we move them around. It’s
everything we love.”
with very little direct light. The legs and feet of passersby
occasionally catch your eye, though no-one seems to
spot the kitchen-dwellers below. “We love people walking
past,” says James. “And looking in. We love people just
standing outside and appreciating the building!” It’s hard
not to stop and admire a home as pretty as this one.
As we enjoy a coffee in the kitchen, it’s clear that this is a
popular room. It’s also a room that makes you want to rest
a while. James and David ripped up the original carpets,
exposed the brickwork behind the kitchen area and opened
up an old fireplace next to the kitchen table: “It had one
of those shaker kitchens that were popular in the early 90s
so we got our carpenter to put in a new kitchen...” They
also painted the floorboards in Little Greene’s Chocolate.
Painted floorboards are a theme that’s repeated in every
room: “I love floorboards when they’re painted but worn.
There’s nothing better than seeing where people walk, so I am
looking forward to it wearing in a little more,” says James.
A large range cooker is testament to the couple’s love
of cooking for friends and the bare brick wall behind is
illuminated by three utilitarian lights: “We asked Ed from
Dyke & Dean to come and look at our house. Then we
51 wealdentimes.co.uk