Wealden Times | WT243 | August 2022 | Taste Of The South East Supplement inside

This page: The brief for the kitchen was to create a contemporary look, but
for it to feel traditional enough to fit with the classic lines of the house
The renovation of an early nineteenth century house was
a labour of love for Caroline, Stephen and their family,
who strove to keep the integrity of the building, whilst
sensitively updating the interior for modern living
If you’ve found an old house that has been well looked after, its structural
integrity preserved and all the internal features intact, then you are fortunate
indeed. This is one such cherished home, built in the Arts and Crafts style
at the turn of the 19th century – solid, elegant and perfectly proportioned.
Meeting Caroline at the threshold of her handsome home, it’s easy to
see why she and her husband wanted to take the utmost care over their
renovation. They called on the services of designers Luxe by Andrew Henry
Interiors – specialists in creating both show homes and interior schemes – to
help them enhance and celebrate the fine features of this period property.
“We wanted something that would fit with the age of the house, but it
also needed to be a comfortable family home with a contemporary feel," says
Caroline. “With an old house like this you only want to renovate once, but
you need to take the time to do it properly – you can destroy all the beauty
by following the latest trends. We want to keep the integrity of the house.”
Having outgrown their previous home in nearby Ewell, they knew that
they wanted to stay in the area – after all, Ewell and Epsom have been
voted among the top ten places to live in the country. With great schools,
shops and easy access to both the countryside and the city, the position of
this house couldn’t be more perfect. “You just have to walk through a little
alley at the end of the avenue and you are straight onto the downs.”
“Back at the beginning of the last century the whole avenue was part of the
grounds of a huge old manor house,” Caroline explains, “but gradually the owners
sold off plots of land – apparently to keep the daughter of the manor living
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