Surrey Homes | SH43 | May 2018 | Restoration & New Build supplement inside

Above left: More of Sara’s beloved scatter cushions in the spare room. The artworks are Sara’s photographs blown up on canvas
Above right: The bathroom off the spare room. The wood is zebrano
There are some features that have remained in place; the
imposing fireplaces for one, which are from original designs
by the famous 17th century wood carver Grinling Gibbons.
“I want light everywhere else because the
fireplace in here is so dominant.”
The surround is lifted by having a clean, light, but
cosy, new look and a fire bowl interior. The high ceilings
have carefully wrought plasterwork on the ceiling.
“Except it isn’t,” laughs Sara. “If you look
closely you can see that they are just tiles that were
once stuck on and made to look original.”
Light pours into the house during the day, from the
windows now all along the ‘view’ side, but at night a stunning,
sun rivalling, artificial light shines in the hall, in the shape
of a huge spiralling solar system of a chandelier. It is a total
wow, and is the first thing you see when you enter the house.
This ultimate statement piece was designed by Nick Coombs,
totally bespoke and carefully constructed to fit the space.
“Nick gave us some ping pong balls and sticks to help with
the design process,” says Sara, “so that we could play with the
light and get exactly the right balance and combination.”
Beneath the chandelier hangs a large landscape painting of
Villa D’Este by local artist and friend Alexander Cresswell.
It is pressed beneath a plain glass frame, with no surround.
“We felt that a frame would close it in somehow,”
Sara explains. “It’s also hung so that the line of sight
matches up when you look at the view outside.”
And indeed the horizon line matches perfectly,
seamlessly blending the Tuscan and Surrey hills.
With this combination of what was there, with modern
additions, the hallway is a harmonious space and the colours
of the painting are coordinated with accents in the decor.
“We matched the decor to the painting, not the other way
round.” Sara wanted to respect the artist who she’s known
for years, adding that a painting is art, not interior design
- tempting as it is to organise it the other way around.
Looking from the hall into the dining room, with a
lovely soft and muted colour scheme in warm grey and
pale dusky pink, your eye is caught by what looks like
an artwork, a coil of gold which stands on the floor. It’s
actually a feature light but works as a piece of sculpture
on its own, found in a shop in Westbourne Grove years
ago and moving with them from house to house.
The lights above the table are by Achille
Castiglioni from FLOS and the fabulously stylish
and comfortable looking dining table and chairs were
designed by the award-winning Rupert Senior.
“The chairs are deliberately designed with low backs,”
says Sara, “so people can turn and talk to each other
in maximum comfort, encouraging conversation.
surrey-homes.co.uk
60