Wealden Times | WT184 | June 2017 | Kitchen & Bathroom supplement inside

Left Diane has created her very own version of The
Little Paris kitchen. She hasn’t been afraid to use dark
colours in this low beamed house and has opted for a
sophisticated dark grey – Farrow and Ball’s ‘Plummet’
General Stores in Rolvenden provided the space for this
perfect combination. The Stores is a lovely white weatherboarded
building, following the vernacular style of the area.
Originally built around 400 years ago, it had been a shop
since the 1800s. It was looking worn and outmoded when
the couple moved in and they had considerable work to do
before setting up shop. “The people before us had been in
their 70s or 80s and although there was nothing structural
to do, it needed a lot of updating work.” Diane and Ian, an
upholsterer (what a useful thing to be!), transformed the
premises from tired and dull to vintage and appealing.
They opened for business. It was enjoyable, but hard
work running both a tearoom and an antiques shop, and
after some years Diane decided to have a ‘rest’ – by going
out to work – catering at the local pub (the Ewe and Lamb
in Rolvenden) and at a florist’s in Rye. It was once her
daughter, who had been using the space as an apartment,
moved out, that Diane had the idea for a holiday let.
Our conversation takes a philosophical turn at this point
and I get a clue as to how Diane has managed to create such
a well thought out and stylish look for the apartment. There
is no clutter and nothing that doesn’t ‘fit’. Diane smiles. “I
get up some mornings and have to turn everything around
– and I don’t have photos or sentimental things,” she says.
“I like to look ahead and don’t want to be held onto, held
down. It gives you freedom. I’ve never had a job I’ve had
to stick at, so I can be impulsive, with not much to lose.”
This observation (which I’m now taking as a piece of life
advice) reminds me of that saying by William Morris: “If
you want a golden rule that will fit everything, this is it:
Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be
useful or believe to be beautiful.” To that sage sentence I
shall add a summation of Diane’s sentiments: “Don’t look
back, or be held down by material things.” I can now see
that when you are free from attachment to the things you
feel that you have to hang on to, then choosing a theme, or
look is much easier. It is clear that too many possessions can
bog one down (and turn into a terrifying hoarding habit
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