Colour and fun, with a splash of the unexpected and a sprinkling of economy are the tenets that underpin Natasha Redcliffe's pragmatic approach to decorating. When she and her husband Ben moved to their home in Tunbridge Wells four years ago, they had little sense of the scale of the task ahead. 'It was our first house and we were inexperienced,' she explains. We fell in love with it, bought it, then realised that like most old houses - there was a huge amount of work to do.'
The house that captured their hearts was built in 1870 for the stationmaster at Tunbridge Wells. Set over four floors, it has a kitchen, dining room and snug in the basement, a hallway, living room and a studio room on the floor above, with bedrooms and bathrooms on the top two floors and a cloakroom on every level. Sitting in the centre of a curved terrace, the property was unlike any of the adjacent houses (where other station employees once lived) and its location, close to the town's Pantiles and Common, was instantly appealing. But we mainly fell in love with it for the hallway and stairs,' says Natasha. Being on the curve, one side wall runs diagonally, so the stairs are on an angle and they go all the way up through the house."
Denne historien er fra October 2023-utgaven av Homes & Antiques.
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Denne historien er fra October 2023-utgaven av Homes & Antiques.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Collecting Dioramas MINIATURE WORLDS
From elaborate taxidermy museum displays to humble folk art creations, a diorama can transport us to another time and place
Pride of place LEEDS CREAMWARE
In its heyday the pre-eminent rival to Wedgwood's Queens ware, Leeds creamware is still much revered by collectors for its understated elegance
Bohemian Rhapsody
An exuberant approach to decor, with rooms enveloped in colour and pattern, has brought this historic home merrily into the 21st century...
THE ANTIQUES THAT SHAPED ME Rory Hutton
The accessories designer on his love of silver spoons and Sévres porcelain
European HERITAGE B&Bs
Is there anything more inspiring than staying somewhere that's both beautifully stylish and imbued with history? Rhiannon Batten explores five gems across Europe, from Sweden to Spain...
STAR SALES
A Hitchens painting, a museum-quality teapot and a Parisian chocolate box are all top of the lots
Textile designs by artists
Influential 20th-century fine artists and sculptors, from Picasso to Barbara Hepworth, gained additional status as textile designers until decline set in during the 1970s
Period DRAMA
A painstaking renovation has brought this 1725 former Huguenot silk weaver's house in London's Spitalfields back to life
An artist's RESIDENCE
Rustic details and a restrained palette lend a sense of simplicity to this lovingly restored Friesian bakery
Carefully Curated LIVING
This lovingly restored Gustavian manor has become both home and showroom for its owners, Maria & Jan Åke, who deal in European antiques