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Readers’ Homes
HOME AT LAST
Patience was a virtue for Kerry and Andy Warren, who have sensitively
and stylishly updated a characterful house in their perfect location
Words jane crittenden Photographs darren chung
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Words jane crittenden Photographs darren chung
CLOCKWISE FROM FAR
LEFT The Victorian
property has a wealth of
original features inside
and out; Kerry and Andy
love the original redbrick floor in the kitchen
and had the existing Aga
reconditioned, while
the walls are painted
in Farrow & Ball’s Joa’s
White; the dresser in
the dining room has
been there ever since
the house was built
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trying to buy there and kept losing out on
sealed bids, so we rented a cottage in the village
to put ourselves in a more favourable position.’
While the couple thought that the whole
village was delightful, one particular street
had caught their eye, with its pretty houses
dotted around the green. ‘We had decided
that this was our dream road,’ recalls Kerry,
‘so we were sorely disappointed when we lost
out on a house and thought we would never
have the chance to buy there again.’
Luckily, in July 2009, three weeks after Kerry
and Andy had paid their first instalment of rent,
their landlord told them he knew someone who
was thinking of selling a house in that spot.
‘Andy and I thought it was too good to be true,’
says Kerry. ‘We were introduced to the owners,
A
K
erry and Andy Warren are drawn
to all things old and original. Although
they both grew up surrounded by
antiques in their childhood homes,
Andy’s passion is deep-rooted. ‘He
was brought up in a beautiful Georgian house
and his dad was an antiques dealer,’ explains
Kerry. ‘Living in a modern house with new
furniture just isn’t in Andy’s blood – and that
way of thinking has rubbed off on me.’
When the couple began their search for a new
home, they were prepared to wait for the right
period property in their perfect location. ‘We were
living in an 1870s terraced house in Brighton that
we had renovated, but we wanted to move to
Hurstpierpoint, a village in the nearby Sussex
countryside,’ says Kerry. ‘We spent two years
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Readers’ Homes
Words jane crittenden Photographs darren chung
ABOVE With its calm
colour scheme and
original Georgian sash
windows, the drawing
room is a pleasant place
to while away the hours
– or watch them tick
by on some of Wendy’s
many clocks. Wendy
made the curtains
and matching cushions
in Kate Forman’s
Blue Roses fabric
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had a look around, loved their home and
eight weeks later we moved in!’
The Victorian property, built in the 1850s,
was exactly what Kerry and Andy had been
searching for. With five bedrooms and three
bathrooms over three floors, as well as a lovely
big garden, the house had plenty of character
and original features. There was something
else special about it, too: its ambiance, which
Kerry says is what really sold it to them. ‘It had
such a welcoming, family feel to it and we could
really imagine ourselves living here,’ she explains.
For the first six months after moving in, the
Warrens kept the interior of the house as it was,
until they really got to know their surroundings.
‘I think it’s important to live somewhere and
get a feel for the space and how the light works
before doing anything to it,’ says Kerry.
Despite the age of the property, its structure
was sound and the original layout was already
well suited to the family, so there was no need for
any building work. Most of the traditional features
were intact, much to the couple’s delight, and the
Aga was a huge bonus, except for one sticking
point. ‘At some time it had been painted over
PER
ABOVE The couple
removed the coaleffect gas fire and
replaced it with a
new, more efficient
wood-burner. The
large mirror over
the mantelpiece is
from Canterbury
Auction Galleries
OPPOSITE Kerry and
Andy’s living room
enjoys views over the
village green. Kerry
bought the sofa from
a friend and had it
re-covered in Iona
fabric from Linwood,
while the blinds
were made with Pink
Sophia fabric from
Kate Forman. Andy’s
grandfather’s bureau
sits in the corner
A
‘The house had such a welcoming, family
feel to it and we could really imagine
ourselves living here’
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Readers’ Homes
‘I’ve designed each room
with something I love
as the starting point,
such as a Kate Forman
vintage-inspired linen’
with blue stove paint,’ says Kerry. ‘It didn’t feel
genuine or right for our house, so we had it
reconditioned in a cream-coloured finish instead.’
Remaining true to the original house was
very important to the Warrens, even while they
were redesigning the interior spaces to put their
own style on them. ‘It wouldn’t occur to me to
strip it of anything that was used to build it,’
explains Kerry, who says she loves the old sash
windows, draughts and all. ‘The rattles are
familiar to us and part of our home’s charm.’
Kerry and Andy decided to save up and work
through the house room by room, beginning
by decorating the boys’ bedrooms before moving
on to the living room. They were disappointed
that the chimney had been removed at first, as
they wanted an open fire. ‘We thought that we’d
miss it when we removed the gas fire,’ Kerry admits,
‘but every winter we say that the wood-burner was
the best purchase we’ve made. It’s far more heatefficient and makes the room feel just as cosy.’
They went on to strip the door architraves,
reveals and skirting boards, and to replace
the missing spindles on the staircase. A local
craftsman copied the design, then all the spindles
were painted to look the same. The mahogany
handrail and newel post were left as they were.
Kerry is a trained textile designer, so planning
the interiors came to her naturally. She helps
ABOVE The blind in
Toby’s room is made
with Cath Kidston’s
Cowboy fabric. The
gingham bedlinen
is from Butlers and
the walls are Clunch
from Farrow & Ball
LEFT Kerry had the
en suite remodelled
by her builder and it
now features a large
walk-in shower from
Eastbrook, with Moderna
tiles from Fired Earth
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Owners Kerry Warren, who trained in
fashion and textiles, and her husband
Andy, who runs Blue Edge, a bid services
company. They live here with their sons,
Paddy, 10, and Toby, eight
Property A Victorian semi-detached
house in West Sussex with five bedrooms
and three bathrooms
Essential repairs The doors and skirting
boards were stripped, the missing stair
spindles replaced and the whole house
decorated throughout
Layout As Kerry and Andy liked the
home’s original Victorian proportions and
features, they have not altered its layout
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In the hallway, the
walls are painted in
Farrow & Ball’s Off
White above the dado
rail and Old White
below. Stripped
pine floorboards
complement the
neutral scheme
The project
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Words jane crittenden Photographs darren chung
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‘We absolutely
love how the house has
turned out and we feel
so lucky to have been
able to buy it in such
a perfect location’
shop around for things that are a reasonable
price. Sometimes you just have to keep looking
for what you want, even if it means visiting the
same places over and over again.’
The Warrens’ renovation project has been
a labour of love over the past four years, with
the master bedroom and the bathroom finished
only a few months ago. A new kitchen is planned
for next year, but Kerry and Andy will keep
the original brick floor as well as the dining
area dresser, which was made when the house
was built. For the cabinets, Kerry has her eye
on a painted Shaker style that, she says, would
be perfectly in keeping with their house.
‘We’re purists through and through!’ she says of
their traditional design inspiration. ‘We absolutely
love how the house has turned out and we feel
so lucky to have been able to buy it in such a
perfect location. It’s ideal for our family life.’
CLOCKWISE FROM
ABOVE The walls in the
bathroom, remodelled
by builder Mike Early,
are painted in Pavilion
Gray, and the panelling,
next to a Bathstore bath,
is in Skimming Stone,
both from Farrow & Ball;
although the staircase
spindles have been
replaced and painted,
the existing mahogany
handrail remains; the
basin is from Bathstore
and the small wooden
cabinet from a local
shop called The Jam Pot
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Words jane crittenden Photographs darren chung
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