Arabella Youens looks at the work done in renovating a listed building in Kent.
When the owners of this house decided to use it as their main base rather than a weekend home, they asked Charlotte Crosland to devise a ‘root and branch’ renovation. Taking the house back to a shell, she redesigned the layout and set about completely redecorating the building from top to bottom.
Part of this process involved creating a dining area within the kitchen. Archways either side of the chimney breast were opened up and paint stripped from the fire surround to reveal stone beneath. Dressers were sourced from Cheltenham-based antique dealers Anton & K to go either side.
The table, which is topped in slate, was found at the Decorative Antiques and Textiles Fair in Battersea and an extra leaf added.
Red is a colour that Charlotte turns to in order to add ‘a bit of oomph’ and it’s particularly effective in this space, which is otherwise neutral. The leather salon chairs are from Howe. ‘Leather is a brilliant material: it’s easy to clean and it also ages beautifully,’ she notes.
The trio of French-grey tin pendants, with scalloped edges, were also found at Battersea and the wall lights are by Hannah Woodhouse. At far end of the table is one of two dog portraits by Jonathan Delafield Cook, commissioned by Charlotte.
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