The Dark Arts

Jane Rockett and Toby Erlam used an imaginative blend of moody hues, striking artwork and vintage finds to revitalise an unloved country home

- Emma J Page

Few of us have the knack of making a pot plant and vintage desk salvaged from a Citizen’s Advice Bureau look covetable, but Jane Rockett has an enviable design eye. In her home, she has elevated the everyday to the interesting, and created harmony from disparate pieces. ‘I just combine elements I love,’ she says. ‘A home can’t be staged – it needs to evolve.’

This is a philosophy that Jane, co-founder of homewares brand Rockett St George, put into practice when she came across this Victorian cottage in a pretty Sussex village nearly 10 years ago. Her aim was to strip it back to its original layout, allowing it to breathe, and make alterations over time, like removing walls, exposing the top floor to the rafters and adding a simple conservatory to the rear. ‘Previous owners had carved more rooms out of the space, but it had become something of a rabbit warren as a result,’ she says. ‘However, I fell in love with the generous windows and I knew I could make the place work for family life.’