Wealden Times | WT224 | Nov & Dec 2020 | Christmas supplement inside

Above: A chic luxury shower room is concealed behind another of John’s well-thought-out doors. Featuring double basins atop grey wood
cupboards, Moroccan inspired tile splash backs and mirrored cupboards, everything is in its place and storage has been so cleverly considered,
there is no extraneous clutter anywhere
laundry on one side (John hiding things again) and floorto-ceiling
clothes storage on the left, all the way on to
what would have been the window of the former back
bedroom. As John puts it, “We use landings as rooms.”
You then arrive at a door, to the right, which opens
onto a very chic luxury shower room, with double
basins atop grey wood cupboards, Moroccan-inspired
tile splash backs and mirrored cupboards above.
As here, storage has been so well thought out in this
house, there is no extraneous clutter anywhere. No
visible scruffy toothbrushes, combs and body lotion, no
scattered wellies, shoes and scarves, there is a place for
everything – and everything is in its place. Japanese clutter
banisher Marie Kondo would very much approve.
This all helps make it the perfect showcase for the
intriguing collection of objets and artworks Cathe and
John have collected, many of them on their travels to
Vietnam, Mexico, Morocco and Egypt. Not forgetting
the wonderful brocantes of France, where they have
recently bought a second home, which it is clear
they are relishing the prospect of making over.
“We are recent interiors people,” says Cathe, “it’s
a new hobby.” And one they perhaps approach with
all the more originality, for coming to it later.
Some of the artworks, though, like the lovely bright
painting in the hallway are from closer to home –
produced by their artist neighbour, Beth Barker.
Back there on the ground floor, it’s a right turn from
the bottom of the stairs into the dining room, where
a large square table – from a school and found at the
YMCA furniture store, just down the road – is set at
a diagonal angle, which makes it easier to get past en
route to the kitchen and adds dynamism to the space.
A large mercury mirror with appealing foxing (it came
with the house) leans against the wall next to the opening
to the kitchen. It’s in its original place in an extension at
the back of the house, as per the Victorian vernacular.
Here they have left the old plasterwork, where the
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