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COTTAGE IN THE WOODS A West Sussex cottage in the heart of the South Downs becomes a welcoming home
Cottage in THE WOODS
Lovingly transforming their nineteenth-century find, Antonia and John Cunningham have combined past and present to create a magical retreat
FEATURE JANET MCMEEKIN PHOTOGRAPHY RACHAEL SMITH
The curtains in the kitchen-diner are in Vhari Grande fabric, printed bespoke by Peony & Sage and made by Victoria Clark Interiors. “Victoria’s idea of pulling the pink tones in Peony & Sage’s Kashmir paisley fabric used for the Roman blinds has worked a treat,” says Antonia.
The handmade wooden doors and windows have been painted in Farrow & Ball’s French Gray.
ABOVE Formerly a snug, the entrance hall has practical Umbrian limestone flooring from Floors of Stone. Morris & Co’s Kelmscott Tree fabric is teamed with walls in Farrow & Ball’s Inchyra Blue. ABOVE RIGHT Antonia and John love their new terrace. The furniture is by Kettler, whilst the pretty tablecloth is from Sarah K. H aving driven through enchanting woodland to view a remote, Victorian cottage she had seen online, even before setting foot inside the quaint property, Antonia Cunningham felt destined to become its next custodian. “Until that moment, I had never experienced such an instant and overwhelming connection to any home,” she says. “With my heart pounding, I felt that no matter what lay inside the walls of this hidden gem, the setting was so idyllic, we just had to buy it.”
This was back in 2017, when London-based Antonia and her husband, John, decided to search for a country bolthole for them and their children. “Although we really enjoy many aspects of city living, we also wanted our children to experience the complete freedom of life in the countryside,” Antonia explains.
Browsing the Internet for homes within an hour’s drive of London, the Cunninghams viewed dozens of properties online before spotting the intriguing West Sussex cottage in the heart of the South Downs National Park.
As Antonia was soon to discover, they were not the only house-hunters to be lured by the charms of this picturesque property in the woods. “Hearing that 20 other viewings were lined up for the following day, there was no time to hang around,” she says. “As John was away and my parents had coincidentally relocated close to where the cottage is, I scheduled an appointment for the following day and asked my mother, Caroline, to accompany me.”
A floral tablecloth, sourced from Mrs. Alice, covers the large kitchen table from Antique Tables & Country Furniture in Wisborough Green. When choosing colours for the kitchen, Antonia chose Farrow & Ball’s French Gray for the bespoke cabinets and Shadow White for the walls.
ABOVE Curtains and blinds in Cassius by Colefax and Fowler complete the scheme in the drawing room. Once the original wooden flooring was sanded and varnished, Persian rugs that used to belong to Antonia’s parents were added. The Bluebell sofas are from Sofa.com, and the ottoman is from Neptune. A rocking horse that once belonged to Antonia’s mother is a charming addition. Bundling the children – Charlotte, now 11, and Edward, now eight – into the car, Antonia whizzed down the A3 from London, collected her mother, and arrived outside the property, brimming with anticipation. “It was incredible,” she recalls. “The only sound we could hear were the squeals of delight as the children spotted the amazing garden.”
Antonia, who had renovated the family’s Edwardian townhouse in London, realised that the cottage, which is not listed, offered tremendous potential to become a treasured home. Originally built in and around 1840 as a home for one of the workers on the nearby Leconfield Estate, the property had been extended over the years. “The orientation was super, it seemed structurally sound, was a good size and had relatively high ceilings, plus fairly large windows,” Antonia says. “I immediately sent an extremely enthusiastic text to John explaining that this bright and welcoming cottage was the one, and that we ought to put in an offer straightaway.”
Days later, after Antonia and John had been able to view it together, they discovered there had been so much interest in the cottage that it had gone to sealed bids. However, it seemed that fortune was on their side. “We could hardly believe our luck when, soon after we placed our bid, we received a phone call to let us know that we were the next owners,” says Antonia. “Both John and I were over the moon.”
Collecting the keys, the family spent that summer holiday at their new abode, relishing every moment. “It was the perfect opportunity to familiarise ourselves with the cottage and decide how it would work for our needs,” says Antonia. “We also got to know our neighbours, who kindly recommended local builders and joiners to carry out our proposed renovation.”
With Antonia expecting their third child in early 2018, time was of the essence. “That autumn was a complete whirlwind,” she recalls. “As project manager, I made countless trips to the cottage and endless decisions, always mindful of enhancing the character and charm of this period home.”
In regard to the layout, the couple turned a former snug into a smart hall and boot room to create a welcoming entrance, complete with a new stable door.
When it came to the kitchen, Antonia and John decided to keep the existing Aga in the same position and have bespoke cabinets designed and built to fit around it, providing much-needed storage and worktop space. Meanwhile, adjacent to the kitchen, a handy utility room and downstairs cloakroom were created, and, on the first floor, a new bathroom and shower room fitted. “I loved the fact that we were using excellent local tradesmen who were equally as passionate about giving this property a new lease of life as we were,” says Antonia.
Paying particular attention to the flooring for the cottage, the couple sourced beautiful Umbrian limestone for the kitchen and hallway, and had the original wooden floor in the drawing room sanded and varnished. Upstairs, they had carpets laid in the bedrooms and striking floor tiles in the bathroom. “The narrow dirt track that leads through the woods to our cottage certainly isn’t designed for lorries, so the logistics of getting larger items such as the flooring delivered, proved to be fun and games at times, but we coped,” Antonia recalls. Outside, the couple had a terrace built, complete with a pergola and barbecue area – perfect for al fresco get-togethers with family and friends. “On hot summer days, our new terrace, with its 80-year-old olive tree, feels almost Mediterranean,” Antonia says.
Extending the longevity of the cottage for future occupants was a priority for the Cunninghams. “We wanted to make changes that would stand the test of time for many years to come,” explains Antonia. “To this end, we commissioned handmade wooden doors and windows for the entire property.”
The project having been completed within just 10 weeks, Antonia began sourcing furniture, frequently visiting antique shops to track down unusual finds. “I wanted to be true to the integrity of this former worker’s cottage and give it a homely, authentic feel by mixing inherited furniture and rugs with other old and new pieces,” she says.
With Christmas looming and the baby due in February 2018, having decorated throughout, Antonia postponed choosing fabric for the curtains, blinds and soft furnishings for several months. “A chance
ABOVE Keen to give this snug a cosy feel and create a sense of cohesion with the hallway, Antonia chose Bird & Pomegranate wallpaper from Morris & Co. ABOVE LEFT A new wooden mantelshelf, designed and made locally, has been painted in Farrow & Ball’s Shaded White to blend seamlessly with the wall colour. The painting is a copy of An Anglesey Common by Chisholm Cole.
ABOVE The restful master bedroom features curtains in Linwood’s Tresco in Strawberry Punnet and an upholstered bench sourced from One.World. The painting above the bed is by Jeffrey Pratt and has lights from Neptune either side of it. RIGHT Daughters Charlotte and Connie love their pretty bedroom with its curtains in a Peony & Sage fabric. The chest of drawers was sourced from Northcote Road Antiques Market. conversation with a friend pointed me in the direction of Victoria Clark Interiors, which proved invaluable,” she explains. “Victoria was incredibly patient, working closely with me to introduce a range of gorgeous fabrics and ideas to complement our cottage. I was so thrilled to have her help and support.”
Having brought their vision to fruition, the couple turned their attention to the mature garden, with its abundance of fruit trees, bushes and vegetable patch. “We knew that plenty of love had been lavished on the garden over the years, and were determined to keep changes to a minimum, simply removing a few hedges so that the children, including Connie, who is now three, had more room to run around,” says Antonia.
The result of the couple’s efforts and attention to detail have culminated in a home that they all adore. “We spend hours outside playing in the woods, building dens, roasting marshmallows, or walking through the South Downs to the local pub for lunch,” Antonia reveals. “We cherish our time here and feel so incredibly fortunate to be the custodians of such a very special place.” n
