Surrey Homes | SH29 | March 2017 | Fashion supplement inside

Above: The walls of the sitting room are clad in painted pine boards
holiday home. During our first quick look around, it appears
that Nicola possesses these in buckets and spades, and has
not only been able to see past this house’s drab exterior
and years of neglect, but has also summoned the patience,
attention to detail and determination needed to carry out
the actual transformation. She and her team of builders
have somehow managed to bring New England to old
England, as this home now looks as if it would be just as
comfortable near the shores of Cape Cod as Camber Sands.
The location has helped, I’m sure; the fact that the beach
is only a pebble skim away must have sent some energising
ozone to aid the inspiration, and help to bring a clear
vision of how the house could be transformed. Nicola, her
husband and three boys live in Burwash Common, but
they know and love Camber Sands: “We’ve always come
down here with the boys. It has such a lovely long sandy
beach. I knew I wanted to find a property down here – the
location is right, it’s near to London and most of the other
beaches nearby are pebbly.” That said, many of us would
have been put off from actually purchasing the house. Nicola
smiles. “It was a tired old chalet bungalow with swirly
carpets, Artex on the ceilings and nicotine stained walls.”
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