A Perfect Thatch

A wonderful mix of antiques and mid-century pieces come together to create something special at Sara Milner’s Grade-II listed gem

THE PROPERTY: A thatched cottage orné, built in approximately 1800

LOCATION: Rye, East Sussex

ROOMS: Kitchen, sitting room, dining room, snug area, bathroom, four bedrooms

Sara Milner’s pretty whitewashed cottage with its gothic-style windows and silverygrey thatch wouldn’t look out of place among the pages of a fairy tale. And Sara is the first to admit that when she first saw the place that she now calls home she got swept away, letting her heart rule her head. “I thought it was so sweet, but it was totally impractical,” she said. “I didn’t even think about the upkeep of the thatch or the wooded area behind the house,” she explained.

Back in 2009, social worker Sara had a place in Brighton but was living part time in Hawkhurst with her ex. It was with a view to buying a weekend

SITTING ROOM Sara has brought the room to life with her mid-century style furniture and pops of colour. The leather sofa and coffee table are vintage

retreat that they drove to Rye, near the coast in East Sussex, to first view the house. They put in an offer and, not long after, it was theirs.

Circumstances then changed when the couple split up and Sara decided to make it her full-time home. She quickly put her mind to renovating. “There were black beams with magnolia paint everywhere because it was rented out,” she remembered.

Sara moved in with friends and had the cottage damp-coursed as well as replastered and redecorated inside and out. She also had the ridge of the thatch replaced. “I didn’t know anything about thatched properties before. You have to get the ridge done every ten years and the whole thatch replaced around every 30 years, at a cost of about £15,000. There are different types of thatch but this house has water reed with a straw ridge,” said Sara. “Also, there are specific clauses in my home insurance policy.

The quarry tiles had been salvaged from a sunken ship that had been carrying a load of French tiles

For example, you’re not allowed log burners because the heat concentrates in the flue and can be a cause of fire.”

Inside, the property has a bright yet cosy feel. Sara had most of the dark beams lightened and has cleverly mixed inherited antiques with midcentury finds. “Collecting things has always been a part of my life,” she said. “My grandmother was an obsessive collector. She had 40 grandfather clocks in her house. They never used to be set to exactly the same time, so for about ten minutes an hour there would be a chorus of chimes. You can imagine what it was like at night!”

HALLWAY/SNUG The quarry stone floor was salvaged from a sunken ship. The velvet chairs were bought at auction. The grandfather clock was inherited from Sara’s grandmother

FIREPLACE Pretty pottery flanks the hearth. The gluggle jugs were given to Sara by her mother

DINING ROOM Sara loves the gothic-style windows

You have to get the ridge done every ten years and the whole thatch replaced around every 30 years

The patio is perfect for al fresco dining. The table and bench were bespoke from a local company

Off the compact kitchen lies a little snug and hallway with a quarry stone floor. This is Sara’s favourite spot to sit during winter, when she has the fire burning in the hearth. “The quarry tiles were put in by a previous owner who was a member of the local historical society. They had been salvaged from a sunken ship just off the coast that had been carrying a load of French tiles,” she revealed.

The bright sitting room with its taupe walls and splashes of orange has a retro feel. “I have always liked mid-century pieces,” said Sara. “I originally studied product and furniture design and was fascinated by many of the British and European designers of that era before they became trendy in recent years.”

Sara loves to enjoy a drink in the summerhouse. She sourced the antique mirror, pew and crate at auction

KITCHEN Sara kept the kitchen as it was when she bought it, simply updating the walls with a lick of paint

The dining room next door is the one area where Sara has left the beams their original dark colour, which lends a more formal air. The bathroom, with its white metro tiling and roll-top bath, completes the downstairs layout. Meanwhile, upstairs lie two further bedrooms and a small under-eaves space.

Outside, the house is painted white, with pale sage woodwork. The gothicstyle windows and tiny quatrefoil in the roof apex are a real focal point. A summerhouse sits at the foot of the garden. “If I have a BBQ we sometimes wander into the summerhouse for a little drink and when my stepdaughters, Ellie, and Sophie were younger, we used to go in there for picnics,” said Sara.

While Sara feels at home in Rye, her office is in Surrey, meaning a three or fourhour round trip. “It feels manageable as I am able to work at home a couple of

84 London Road, East Grinstead RH19 1EP www.silverdaleflooring.com • eastgrinstead@silverdaleflooring.com

GUEST BEDROOM This enchanting space is tucked up in the eaves with a stunning quatrefoil window

The rocking chair was given to Sara by her grandmother when she was five

days a week,” she explained. “Also, it feels worth it as I love my house and the location, now I have adjusted to the more rural way of life. Rye is full of quirky shops, galleries and restaurants, plus it has such an arty vibe.”

Aside for wanting to add a bathroom upstairs, the cottage is just how she wants it. So much so, that she isn’t going to act on existing permission to extend. “When I bought the house there was planning to extend the snug and corridor, but I quite like how quirky and cosy it is!” l

Feature: Amy Maynard/Living4Media Photography: Richard Gadsby/Living4Media

BATHROOM Metro tiles give the space a retro feel, Sara found the original radio in a junk shop up north

This year marks a significant anniversary for Burgess Hill-based Bluelite Group. The company is celebrating 25 years of serving local customers with vehicle markings, commercial signage and digital graphics…all under one roof.

From police cars and fleet vehicle ‘wraps’ to billboards and embroidered polo shirts – Bluelite is the one-stop shop for high quality, value for money products. And to mark this anniversary year, the company is introducing a fresh corporate identity as a positive statement for the future.

“In this special year, we’d like to say a big thank you to all our customers – some of whom have been with us since 1997,” says Lorraine Avery, Bluelite’s managing director. “We’re also looking forward to working with new customers as we continue to expand our product range…notably in vehicle branding, digital graphics and a new clothing embroidery service.”

Bluelite Group businesses

Bluelite Graphics UK market leader supplying vehicle livery and vehicle wraps to emergency services, frontline fleets, commercial brands and drama productions for TV! Local brands look to Bluelite for expert whole-vehicle wraps to drive the business, grow awareness and attract new customers. www.bluelitegraphics.com 01444 232366

Chevronshop Over 15 years, we’ve developed a portfolio of over 470 products for commercial fleets, including high visibility safety chevron kits and markings for works cars, vans, trucks and construction vehicles. We only used approved materials and we provide expert fitting guides for the best result. www.chevronshop.com 0800 9998 997

DoubleDot Our specialist large format digital printing and signage company provides businesses, schools, housebuilders, local authorities, visitor attractions and marketing agencies with stunning graphics. From pullup banners to posters, workplace signs to massive billboards, we’re the digital graphics experts. www.doubledot.co.uk 01273 492233

Try our new service We’ve just launched a brand-new embroidery service, creating high quality, fast turnround logos on corporate polo shirts and workwear.

Give us a call and enhance your brand with customised clothing or maybe create a friendship group identity for that special occasion. 01444 232366

Community support As a key member of our local community, we also like to make a difference where we can. So, we supply schools with high viz materials to fix to rucksacks and bikes to make it safer for pupils to walk to and from school or to cycle.

We also support charities dedicated to providing positive experiences for young people with life-limiting conditions, contribute to woodland restoration initiatives and support our local hospices.