A Period Romance

Rosemarie Fraser lovingly turned a feature-filled former lawyer’s office into a chic retreat, brimming with exquisite touches

- Maggie Colvin

  When Rosemarie Fraser fell in love with a pretty Georgian townhouse in West Sussex, moving out of London was far from her mind. ‘I was simply on a sightseeing tour with a friend from abroad, who wanted to see examples of typical English houses,’ she says, ‘but I spotted a For Sale sign outside this elegant property and it changed the course of my life.’

Located in an old market town, where cobbled streets lead to an ancient castle overlooking an unspoilt landscape, the house made a permanent impression on Rosemarie. So, a few days later, after her first viewing, she put her flat in Richmond on the market. ‘The irony is, I always imagined that if I moved to the countryside, a secluded garden and a parking spot would be non-negotiables,’ she reflects. ‘This house had neither, but its beautiful features won my heart instead.’

Once used as a lawyer’s office, the period property still had many of its original details, including cornices, doors and fireplaces. The previous owner had installed wooden flooring and an additional room featuring an apex roof, which Rosemarie now uses as an office. ‘Making it my own was relatively easy,’ she says.