The Cottage
EAST SUSSEX
Styled and photographed by Giselle De Hasse
A small, unloved Victorian cottage has been pared back to reveal its original features and offer a wonderful boutique home. Exposing the loft spaces to add height to the rooms on the first floor, also included skylights within the design. Glimpsing the sky from the ground floor up into the roof offers an impactful atmosphere to the compact space.
Reconfiguring not only the house but also the outside space ensured that every inch of the property was used thoughtfully. The garden has become an extension of the living space for summer entertaining. Low-level lighting in the newly landscaped garden offers an ambient atmosphere during evening entertaining. Removing fencing merged the garden with the adjacent field and borrowed views over the valley.
Laminate flooring was removed to expose original timber boards, fire chambers were opened up, and brickwork uncovered to expose some of the original period charm.
I designed a cabin in the garden which doubles as additional accommodation, and a perfect space to work. Designed to look like an old workshop, the cabin was configured to allow a small, but perfectly formed bathroom and a kitchen.
