Surrey Homes | SH51 | January 2019 | Wedding supplement inside

Left: The basin rests on an old Indian
cupboard from Ensor. The oil-rubbed
bronze taps and shower fittings are from
The Watermark Collection Below: An
antique painted cupboard from Ensor acts
as a bedside table in the guest bedroom
Contrasts of old
and new are found
throughout the cottage
the best designer in the world and something will happen that you’re not
prepared for.” Knowledge and experience keep things on track, so to speak.
“Before I bought the business from Mary Ensor I worked very
closely with her for eight years. She’s passed on so many tricks with
fabric that the girls have worked out over all their years here - how not
to show the seam, balancing the curtains, joining up the pattern.
“We prefer to do lined and interlined curtains to get an elegant look.
All the blinds have blackout linings, otherwise light shows through the
fabric when it’s against the window - and then you can’t see the pattern.”
The curtains in the garden room are a case in point. They have
been lined with a complementary fabric, rather than curtain lining.
“This is important,” explains Lisa. “It means that I’m not looking
at the lining from the outside when the curtains are drawn.”
Throughout the house there’s evidence of Lisa’s skill as a designer
and also of her keen eye for a find. There’s a fabulous pumpkin lamp
base from Porta Romana and a beautiful contemporary painting by the
artist Liesha Yaz that epitomises Lisa’s love of nature and its colours.
“I love shopping and sourcing items,” she says, and will often
buy several pieces from the same place. She found the large
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