RUSTIC REVIVAL

A dated cottage in rural Sussex has been extended and remodelled into a beautiful country home that combines the best of old and New England

- ALICE HUMPHRYS

Tracey Gill's characterful weatherboarded house, with its handmade clay tiled roof, veranda and manicured lawns, is so in tune with its surroundings it is difficult to believe it is barely four years old. 'Our focus when we were house hunting was to find the prettiest location regardless of the property's looks, Tracey explains. I knew I could change any house we bought, so the important factor was the land and location.'

Nestled deep in rural Sussex, the location epitomises much of what country living is about. 'We are near a very lovely village, set in three acres with a field bound by a stream. The house is up a track which gives access to just two other properties. It's pin-drop quiet!' says Tracey.

The original house was seriously in need of renovation, however-a diminutive, dated cottage, worlds away from the stylish home that now stands on the same plot of land. 'Dating back in parts to 1730, it was covered in cream pebble dash with concrete roof tiles, modern leaded light windows, Artexed walls, old carpets and an unimaginative extension,' recalls Tracey.