Growing Up Gracefully

When Nicole Phillips and her husband, Richard, found they were expecting their first child, they quickly realised they needed to upsize to a bigger home

SITTING ROOM Pale fabric shades and a soft, neutral palette on the walls lend a relaxed air to the sitting room

The kitchen you want at an affordable price

Retail kitchens at trade prices

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Unit 15, Sheddingdean Business Centre, Marchants Way, Burgess Hill, West Sussex RH15 8QY

STUDIO PROOF

PROOF DATE/TIME: 17 May 2021 4:51 pm OUR FILENAME: June 21 Sussex Trade Kitchens 1/4 • Heating and Plumbing • Oil Heating Systems and Tanks • Installation, Repair & Maintenance • All Boiler Types & Heating Systems • Renewable Energy & Solar The only call you ever need to make for: Your Local Family Run Business, serving our community for over 35 years. EXPERT & RELIABLE • Heating and Plumbing • Oil Heating Systems and Tanks • Installation, Repair & Maintenance • All Boiler Types & Heating Systems • Renewable Energy & Solar The only call you ever need to make for: EXPERT & RELIABLE • Heating and Plumbing • Oil Heating Systems and Tanks • Installation, Repair & Maintenance • All Boiler Types & Heating Systems • Renewable Energy & Solar The only call you ever need to make for: Your Local Family Run Business, serving our community for over 35 years. EXPERT & RELIABLE • Heating and Plumbing • Oil Heating Systems and Tanks • Installation, Repair & Maintenance • All Boiler Types & Heating Systems • Renewable Energy & Solar The only call you ever need to make for: Your Local Family Run Business, serving EXPERT & RELIABLE • Heating and Plumbing • Oil Heating Systems and Tanks • Installation, Repair & Maintenance • All Boiler Types & Heating Systems • Renewable Energy & Solar The only call you ever need to make for: EXPERT & RELIABLE • Heating and Plumbing • Oil Heating Systems and Tanks • Installation, Repair & Maintenance • All Boiler Types & Heating Systems • Renewable Energy & Solar The only call you ever need to make for: Your Local Family Run Business, serving our community for over 35 years. EXPERT & RELIABLE • Heating and Plumbing • Oil Heating Systems and Tanks • Installation, Repair & Maintenance • All Boiler Types & Heating Systems • Renewable Energy & Solar The only call you ever need to make for: Your Local Family Run Business, serving our community for over 35 years. EXPERT & RELIABLE • Heating and Plumbing • Oil Heating Systems and Tanks • Installation, Repair & Maintenance • All Boiler Types & Heating Systems • Renewable Energy & Solar The only call you ever need to make for: EXPERT & RELIABLE • Heating and Plumbing • Oil Heating Systems and Tanks • Installation, Repair & Maintenance • All Boiler Types & Heating Systems • Renewable Energy & Solar The only call you ever need to make for: Your Local Family Run Business, serving our community for over 35 years. EXPERT & RELIABLE • Heating & Plumbing • Oil Heating Systems & Tanks • Installation, Repair & Maintenance • All Boiler Types & Heating Systems • Renewable Energy & Solar Your Local Family Run Business, serving our community for over 35 years. Your Local Family Run Business, serving 01825 891720 For a FREE quote call: paynes-heating.co.uk | sales@paynes-heating.co.uk Oak Tree Barn, Blackboys East Sussex TN22 5JL 01825 891720 our community for over 35 years. For a FREE quote call: paynes-heating.co.uk | sales@paynes-heating.co.uk Oak Tree Barn, Blackboys East Sussex TN22 5JL 01825 891720 For a FREE quote call: paynes-heating.co.uk | sales@paynes-heating.co.uk Oak Tree Barn, Blackboys East Sussex TN22 5JL 01825 891720 For a FREE quote call: paynes-heating.co.uk | sales@paynes-heating.co.uk Oak Tree Barn, Blackboys East Sussex TN22 5JL 01825 891720 Your Local Family Run Business, serving our community for over 35 years. For a FREE quote call: paynes-heating.co.uk | sales@paynes-heating.co.uk 01825 891720 For a FREE quote call: paynes-heating.co.uk | sales@paynes-heating.co.uk Oak Tree Barn, Blackboys East Sussex TN22 5JL 01825 891720 For a FREE quote call: paynes-heating.co.uk | sales@paynes-heating.co.uk Oak Tree Barn, Blackboys East Sussex TN22 5JL 01825 891720 our community for over 35 years. For a FREE quote call: paynes-heating.co.uk | sales@paynes-heating.co.uk Oak Tree Barn, Blackboys East Sussex TN22 5JL 01825 891720 For a FREE quote call: paynes-heating.co.uk | sales@paynes-heating.co.uk Oak Tree Barn, Blackboys East Sussex TN22 5JL

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HOME TRUTHS

LOCATION:

Midhurst, West Sussex

THE PROPERTY:

Detached period cottage built in the 1800s and extended in the 1970s and 1980s

ROOMS:

Kitchen/breakfast room, cloakroom, utility, dining room, sitting room, four bedrooms (one en-suite), family bathroom

GARDEN Perfect for outdoor dining, this corner of the garden lies conveniently adjacent to the kitchen’s French doors

When Nicole Phillips was pregnant with her first baby, Elizabeth, the nesting instinct quickly kicked in. “My husband, Richard, and I realised we needed a bigger house,” she remembered, “and we discovered that his boss, who owned this property was putting it on the market.” When we went for a viewing and I saw the large kitchen with its lovely Rayburn, I thought, “This is it!”

Although the cottage was picturesque, tucked away in the corner of a pretty Sussex village, the interior looked tired and dated. “As the house had been rented out for ten years, it needed a lot of TLC,” said Nicole. So before moving in, the couple re-painted throughout and replaced the old mismatched carpets.

KITCHEN I inherited this gas-fuelled Rayburn but I really like it and wouldn’t swap it for anything The couple created a stylish, sunny breakfast area with new French doors leading into the garden

Then with their first baby imminent, they decided to make the nursery their first major job. Upstairs, two of the bedrooms were interconnected, “so you had to walk through one to get to another,” explained Nicole. To circumvent this, and create a separate nursery, a corridor was created by stealing space from one of the two bedrooms. “Luckily my husband is very practical and he built the stud wall himself,” said Nicole. “He also split the large bedroom at the end of the house into two so that we

HOME IMPROVEMENTS

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BEST BUY

I love collecting glass, for its shape and colour, and generally buy it at antique fairs and car boot sales. But it needs cleaning regularly to look good.

hallmark

GLAZED EXTENSIONS

The sparkling chandelier and the large mirror, which reflects light from the window, help brighten the dining room

Although the cottage was picturesque, tucked away in the corner of a pretty Sussex village, the interior looked tired and dated

could have a room for an au pair.” This proved a good move, as the family later expanded to include Elliot and Charlie.

More recently, the au pair’s room was no longer needed so it was turned into a second bathroom. Meanwhile at the opposite end of the house, the couple also reconfigured their own bedroom, by turning the old-fashioned, family bathroom, which opened onto the landing, into a contemporary en-suite for themselves.

Downstairs, the initial changes were more cosmetic. One of the first things to go after the couple moved in was an unsightly, brick fireplace which took up most of the sitting room wall. This was replaced by a simple, classic, painted wood surround. The ungainly 1970s ceiling light fittings were also updated and a ‘dodgy’ stained glass window in the sitting room was swiftly replaced.

More recently it was decided that the kitchen needed a complete makeover. “The old units were handmade and good quality so initially we just repainted them,” remembered Nicole. “My husband also chopped off the twiddly bits to make them look more contemporary and we replaced the tiled worktop that was so difficult to keep clean. That kitchen lasted us for quite a few years but eventually I couldn’t stand it anymore and we re-worked the whole layout.”

DINING ROOM The dining room, which is the oldest part of the cottage, has a more formal air and is home to several antique pieces of family furniture

An intrusive chimney breast was demolished to make room for an island unit and, in place of a large wall cupboard, the couple created a stylish, sunny breakfast area with new French doors leading into the garden. The new floor and wall units are all solid wood and look modern but with a country twist.

For the upholstery throughout the cottage, Nicole was spoilt for choice. A potter and botanical artist by training, she changed career direction when one of her hips had to be replaced – not once but three times. She realised

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Stunning range of carpets and flooring on display

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DESIGN TIP

When renovating, don’t go for an ultra-fashionable look. It’s expensive to do up a house, so temper your style with a classic edge. To add depth to an interior and avoid a sterile look, don’t be afraid to mix old with new and cheap with expensive.

MASTER BEDROOM The dark wood bedhead and side tables make a crisp contrast to the white bedlinen and pale carpet. Luxurious textures of silk, linen and fur soften the look

EN-SUITE BATHROOM The en-suite bathroom has a classic, New England vibe and a distinctive, herring bone design to the marble floor

ELIZABETH’S ROOM This sophisticated teenage girl’s bedroom was recently updated with a new double bed and grown-up grey wall colour The old units were handmade and good quality so initially we just repainted them

that standing at a potter’s wheel or an easel for hours was not beneficial. “Lying in bed one day, I realised that my artwork would translate well onto fabric.” Nowadays her striking images of fish and seafood, fruit and vegetables grace everything from tablecloths to tea towels. Nearly all the curtains, cushions and home accessories in the house use her own fabric and as a result complement each other beautifully.

One of her own favourite design images is that of a large pineapple, “which is traditionally a symbol of welcome in a house,” said Nicole. She has used it generously in her own home which, thanks to her artistic flair, has now become the perfect family nest that she has always wanted. l Text by: Pat Garratt Photography: GAP Interiors / David Giles