Wealden Times | WT233 | October 2021 | Kitchen & Bathroom supplement inside

to remove or put on your boots, but
also conceals large storage baskets
underneath. “We were going to have
a utility room here, but the back door
lets in lot of light, and the space works
as it is, really.” Natural light is often
hard to come by in period properties,
and the split door is a good way to
bring in a feeling of light and space.
This is where the old part of the
house meets the new extension and
Cassie has cleverly zoned the kitchen,
dining and sitting areas within a larger
unified space, combining features
from the original rooms so that they
work seamlessly with the new part.
“We wanted the old to look old, and
wanted the new to look rustic, but
with a slightly industrial feel.” She
has used black as an accent colour to
link elements of the space together,
so the unit around the fireplace has
been designed to echo the framed
glass doors at the end of the kitchen.
They have exposed the original brick
fireplace and installed a wood burner.
The rustic, but cosy feel in this end
of the space is further enhanced by
subtle screening and the sitting area
is separated from the dining table by
a unifying black and bamboo screen.
Upcycling is a key theme in this
house; it can be difficult to achieve
successfully, but Cassie has been able
to use her experience as an interior
designer – she owns and runs Truffle
Interiors – and this has helped her to
develop an expert eye for the details
that bring a look together and how
furniture that at first appears dull
and ordinary can become key parts
of a scheme. Cassie insists that it’s
an easy thing to transform ordinary
off-the-shelf or second hand pieces.
She gestures towards the black and
rattan sideboard in the kitchen, which
she bought from JN Rusticus. “You
could create something similar by
buying an IKEA unit, adding some
webbing, and painting the cabinet
black and – boom – a bespoke item.”
Easy when you know how. She has
also become very adept at combining
bespoke pieces with furnishings from
the high street. “It works for clients
in terms of budget as it makes things
more accessible and achievable.”
Repurposing and upcycling
continues in the front room, which
is now useful office space. Cassie’s
husband has made his ’n’ hers desks
from reclaimed wood on either side of
fireplace. “It’s a cosy place to work in
the winter,” she says, “the open fire is
always on in here.” This room is also
home to their latest acquisition – her
childhood piano.” I started playing
when I was six, so it won’t be long
before our son can start.” Despite
being right by the front door, the piano
looks perfectly at home and fits into
the scheme as if chosen from the start.
The stairs here are narrow and
perilously steep and, unusually, in the
centre of the house. This has allowed
them to reconfigure the upstairs rooms
and to continue the stairs up through
the middle of the building to the loft
conversion, which has been converted
into a master bedroom and en suite.
The bathroom has been relocated to
priceless-magazines.com
50