The MINDFUL HOUSE
Country Homes & Interiors|May 2020
Taking a hands-on approach and making everything herself, from kitchen cabinets to utensils, has given Freyja Cox Jensen a deep connection to her historic cottage
HOLLY PHILLIPS
The MINDFUL HOUSE

Freyja Cox Jensen’s Kent cottage is a holiday home with a difference. For 20 or so weeks a year, she works as a university lecturer on the other side of the country and lives in a rented place near her day job. When each term ends and the students return home, so does Freyja.

Living room

As storage is lacking in the kitchen, Freyja’s father constructed a display cupboard for all of her glassware. Cupboard in Pitch Blue estate eggshell, Farrow & Ball

It’s a bold approach to finding a good work-life balance. Equally decisive was her intention to look for an old property in need of attention. ‘I prefer to work with a blank canvas,’ she says. ‘It’s wasteful if someone else has done work and I immediately want to undo it.’

Freyja limited her search to a tightly defined 20-mile radius and identified a house she wanted to view on a property website. ‘I’d known about this group of houses for a while because they stand out on a hill. I came to see the house on Christmas Eve and just as I’d hoped, it needed a lot of work doing to it,’ she says.

The house is one of a small row built for weaving families during the 1750s. ‘For a timber-framed house, it’s tall and thin and the ceilings are unusually high,’ says Freyja. According to hearsay, the houses were constructed by prisoners taken during the Seven Years’ War against the French and held captive at nearby Sissinghurst.

Bu hikaye Country Homes & Interiors dergisinin May 2020 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

Bu hikaye Country Homes & Interiors dergisinin May 2020 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

COUNTRY HOMES & INTERIORS DERGISINDEN DAHA FAZLA HIKAYETümünü görüntüle
Sowing the seeds for a life of abundance
Country Homes & Interiors

Sowing the seeds for a life of abundance

The perpetual rhythm of planting, tending and harvesting brings a feeling of hope and fulfilment to Diana Yates, and it extends beyond her Greenfields garden to all of her life

time-read
3 dak  |
August 2024
Cabin fever
Country Homes & Interiors

Cabin fever

Offering cosy, doll's house-sized country retreats, cabins combine modern comforts with an immersive experience of nature

time-read
4 dak  |
August 2024
'Building boats has become my passion'
Country Homes & Interiors

'Building boats has become my passion'

Wooden boat builder, Obioma Oji

time-read
3 dak  |
August 2024
Cover-up job
Country Homes & Interiors

Cover-up job

Durable and decorative, cladding is a brilliant way to protect your home's exterior without compromising its aesthetics

time-read
3 dak  |
August 2024
Flights of fancy
Country Homes & Interiors

Flights of fancy

Replace or refurbish your staircase and you'll elevate the appearance of your home at every level. Here are the steps to take...

time-read
4 dak  |
August 2024
TRUE BLUE
Country Homes & Interiors

TRUE BLUE

A firm favourite for decorating, blue is one of the most restful, mindful shades in the colour spectrum. Stylist and interiors expert Sara Bird shares how to use it in your country home

time-read
5 dak  |
August 2024
COUNTER INTELLIGENCE
Country Homes & Interiors

COUNTER INTELLIGENCE

Practical and inspiring ideas for selecting the best kitchen worktop for your space

time-read
3 dak  |
August 2024
A GARDEN GLOW-UP
Country Homes & Interiors

A GARDEN GLOW-UP

As late summer days begin to shorten, extend your time outdoors with a blend of practical and decorative lighting

time-read
2 dak  |
August 2024
TRÈS BELLE
Country Homes & Interiors

TRÈS BELLE

Sharon and Tony Dallas have turned their dilapidated Grade II-listed house in Essex into an enchanting home with a considered colour palette and French treasures galore

time-read
4 dak  |
August 2024
HOME AT LAST
Country Homes & Interiors

HOME AT LAST

Having often walked past their dream property over the years, Rich and Emma Proud finally became its owners and turned it into a comfortable home for three generations of their family

time-read
4 dak  |
August 2024