Wealden Times | WT197 | July 2018 | Interiors supplement inside

Above: Melanie left the lovely worn paint on the wooden stairs. The bathroom to the right was created in what was
the third bedroom
adaption was to create a dream bathroom.
“That was the first room to be completed – and it’s
still my favourite,” she says. “I always wanted a bathtub
that had a fabulous view… In the evening, I can look
out over Old Town and the twinkling lights of West
Hill while I soak in my tub. It really is perfect.”
The original bathroom was downstairs, so it made sense
to repurpose one of the three bedrooms. She installed a
separate shower, then hunted for her dream freestanding
bath, which she found at The Bath Store. The tub sits on a
slighted raised plinth of grey and white patterned Moroccanstyle
ceramic tiles, while the rest of the room has original
Victorian floorboards, which have been sanded and varnished.
“I love introducing a focal point with pattern, rather
than using it everywhere,” she says, her textile design
and pattern-making background coming to the fore.
The master bedroom window also benefits from views,
looking out over the garden and up to the country park.
“We can sit in bed with our morning cups of tea and gaze
out – and whatever time of year it is, the view is never bleak.”
This room has plenty of Melanie’s signature pops of
pattern. A plump, floral print eiderdown, another of her
vintage buys, resides at the foot of an M&S iron bed and
a black and white optical print woven rug from John
Lewis sits comfortably on stripped pine floorboards.
Propped up against the side of the wardrobe is a vintage
wooden ladder from Eras of Style in Bexhill, used to display
samples of Melanie’s own textiles and scarves and some of
her favourite finds. Bedlinen is neatly stored in a 1940s
tallboy, another bargain from a secondhand shop in Bexhill,
a favourite hunting ground for retro furniture and fabric.
Like the bathroom, the guest bedroom has a vantage
point over the Old Town and is one of the few rooms that
has curtains – the rest have shutters. The room oozes calm
and although it’s undoubtedly minimalist, it still has a
cosy feel, with a perfect ‘mismatch’ of pattern and print.
Under the window, there’s a secondhand ottoman
which was transformed from a dusky ‘old-lady’ pink
to a cool khaki with spray paint, then re-upholstered
in classic Marimekko floral fabric. A chest of drawers
from Browsers, one of Hastings’ best-loved secondhand
shops, was painted with Annie Sloan chalk paint,
89 wealdentimes.co.uk