Surrey Homes | SH28 | February 2017 | Wedding supplement inside

Previous pages & above: David and James used local carpenter Sam White to rebuild the kitchen. Stewart Walton, a craftsman who
creates things out of Hastings Old Pier wood was commissioned to make the mantelpiece and shelving. David found the fox painting
over the fireplace in a junk shop in Prague
Retail is detail, or so the mantra goes. So, for visitors
to Fern House, it will come as no surprise that its
owner – or one of them at least – is a retail brand
consultant, so carefully and beautifully is each room laid
out. Not in a precious ‘don’t touch’ or ‘breakages-mustbe-paid-for’
kind of way. More that it’s instantly clear that
whoever lives here has impeccable taste and an ability to
create a welcoming atmosphere without using that old
trick of baking bread or putting on a pot of fresh coffee.
As soon as we arrive, we are led by the nose to a warm,
aromatic scent coming from the downstairs kitchen. “Come
on down,” says James, though we need no encouragement.
A candle on the sideboard fills the room with a herby, citrus
perfume. “When we first moved in we burned sage,” says
James. The practice is an ancient method of cleansing a
person or a space, and was employed by Native Americans
and many other cultures. Whatever James and his partner
David have done, it certainly seems to have worked.
“I am a big believer, with some of the brands I work
with, in asking them ‘How do you want your customers to
feel when they come into your stores?’ says James. Having
worked with such names as Paul Smith, Selfridges and,
more recently, Fred Perry, it’s clear that James knows what
he’s talking about. In the case of his home, the feeling one
gets when one walks into the house, is of not wanting
to leave. “We have a very ‘open house’ policy,” laughs
James. “And people often just call in unannounced.”
The house is an unusual semi-detached Victorian property,
in the middle of Hastings Old Town and reached by a
bridge-like path. “The beauty is, it’s hidden. When we
43 wealdentimes.co.uk