Take a tour around this stunning 19th-century Sussex cottage

Country Homes and Interiors peeps into this cosy, modern country home. For more house tours and decorating inspiration, go to housetohome.co.uk

This traditional 19th-century timber-clad Sussex cottage has been reconfigured and redecorated to create a stylish family home. It was thought to have originally provided stabling and accommodation for soldiers during the Napoleonic Wars.

1/10 Exterior

house exterior with lawn and glass door

(Image credit: Future PLC/Polly Eltes)

2/10 Entrance hallway

hallway with stairs and white door

(Image credit: Future PLC/Polly Eltes)

The front door was moved so that it opened into the beamed hallway with its original staircase and flagstone floor.

Similar console
I & JL Brown
Similar stair carpet
Crucial Trading

3/10 Living room

living room with wooden floor and yellow couch

(Image credit: Future PLC/Polly Eltes)

Three rooms were knocked into one large living room that stretches from the front of the cottage to the back. Floral and checked fabrics add to the country look while a colourful picture adds a modern twist.

Similar curtain fabric
Cabbages & Roses
Similar chair
Sofa.com

4/10 Living room sofa

living room with wooden floor and mirror and sofa

(Image credit: Future PLC/Polly Eltes)

In the back part of the living room, where lights floods through the French doors that back on to the garden, vintage finds are combined with painted furniture to create a comfortable and relaxed feel.

Similar cabinet
The French Bedroom Company
Wall paint
Joa’s White by Farrow & Ball

5/10 Kitchen

kitchen with dark grey and topped with wooden worksurfaces

(Image credit: Future PLC/Polly Eltes)

Country-style kitchen units painted in tones of dark grey and topped with wooden worksurfaces complement the original quarry floor tiles and add definition to the scheme.

Units
Middleton Bespoke
Wall paint
Cord by Farrow & Ball

6/10 Kitchen cooker

kitchen with oven and chimney

(Image credit: Future PLC/Polly Eltes)

One of the ovens is housed in a converted armoire and disguised with a pretty fabric curtain when not in use.

Similar tiles
Welbeck Tiles
Oven curtain fabric
Cath Kidston

7/10 Dining room

dinging room with two windows and circle dining table

(Image credit: Future PLC/Polly Eltes)

The period features in the dining room are complemented by panelling painted in a calming neutral tone and contemporary designer furniture.

Similar chairs
Heal’s
Blind fabric
Laura Ashley

8/10 Main bedroom

main bedroom with curtain on window and bed

(Image credit: Future PLC/Polly Eltes)

A Juliet balcony was built on to the main bedroom so that the French windows could be flung open in the summer. A palette of duck egg and pink combines with faded floral fabrics to create a pretty country scheme.

Curtain fabric
Laura Ashley
Similar bedcover
Cologne & Cotton

9/10 Guest bedroom

guest room with pink coloured and bed

(Image credit: Future PLC/Polly Eltes)

Ditsy floral bedlinen and a striking black iron bed set against a pink backdrop evoke a cottage scheme, while built-in storage provides a practical solution.

Curtain fabric
Cath Kidston
Bed
Ikea

10/10 Bathroom

bathroom with windows and bathtub

(Image credit: Future PLC/Polly Eltes)

Soft stone shades and tongue-and-groove panelling around the bath create a modern take on a period bathroom.

Similar curtain fabric
Peony & Sage
Wall paint
Elephant’s Breath by Farrow & Ball

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Heather Young
Editor

Heather Young has been Ideal Home’s Editor since late 2020, and Editor-In-Chief since 2023. She is an interiors journalist and editor who’s been working for some of the UK’s leading interiors magazines for over 20 years, both in-house and as a freelancer.