OFF THE BEATEN TRACK

Stylist Sadie Kohler puts overseas nds centre stage in her Brighton home, creating a comfortable space that’s perfect for her young family

For fashion stylist and designer Sadie Kohler, a home should be practical as well as stylish, and her threestorey Victorian townhouse in Brighton is testament to this philosophy. From the old French bakery counter that serves as a kitchen worktop as well as storage, to the elegant armoire in the bedroom

(a lucky street nd), everything is a ractive and useful and, where possible, serves a dual purpose.

The overall e ect is one of relaxed family living and, with four children aged from seven to 18, ‘the house is certainly lived in’, she laughs, drawing a ention to the football boots and skateboard abandoned in the hallway. ‘I never wanted a show home.’

Sadie and her husband Alex stumbled upon their house during a family day trip to the coast 13 years ago. ‘I fell in love with Brighton from that rst visit,’ she recalls. ‘It was close enough to London for my husband’s commute, and I adored all of the quirky shops along The Lanes.’ They were smi en with the house too, despite the fact that it needed

‘I’m very emotionally a ached to our home and everything about it works for us as a family. It has a good energy – nothing is too precious.’

renovating. However, Sadie was keen to stay true to the existing period details. ‘We unblocked a Victorian replace in the living room and chose to repair, rather than replace, the sash windows,’ she says. They also managed to restore many other original features, including the banisters and cornices.

‘When we moved in I painted everything white,’ she explains. ‘But gradually I redecorated using more dramatic colours.’ Today, the house is lled with the dark, cocooning shades of grey and blue that have become something of her signature style. And such is Sadie’s passion for home makeovers, she has recently set up a decorating business with a friend.

‘We’re an all-female painting and decorating crew,’ she smiles.

And it’s not only wall colours that are subject to transformation. ‘I’m always painting furniture one colour and then going over it with another when I want a change!’ she laughs. The farmhouse-style dining table made by Alex’s father – a keen amateur carpenter – has been newly decorated with splendid metallic legs, and the antique shu ers in the master bedroom are now adorned with slate-grey paint to match the walls. ‘The shu ers were le on the pavement by one of my neighbours, with a note asking for someone to take them,’ explains Sadie. These ‘Street Treats’, as she likes to call them, came from another Victorian house, so they ed her windows almost perfectly.

The most precious pieces in Sadie’s home are those sourced from her extensive travels to Spain, Morocco and South America. Shelves are laden with handmade po ery and glass from Europe and South America, and exotic Moroccan Berber rugs bring warmth to the exposed wooden ooring. ‘I’ve never shipped anything back; it always comes home in my hand luggage,’ she says. The pa erned tiles on her kitchen oor are also a homage to her passion for Mediterranean design. ‘They have a Moorish feel, which I love,’ she

says. When she’s not travelling, the wealth of Brighton’s vintage shops and the odd visit to Ardingly antiques fair feed Sadie’s appetite for antiques hunting. ‘I rarely go out looking for anything in particular but, when I spot something, I try to think of fun ways I can incorporate it into my home,’ she explains. Sadie has eclectic taste and her home is proof that antiques from any era can happily sit side by side: from an 18th-century Venetian mirror and a vintage armoire in the bedroom, to her ever-expanding collection of 1970s ra an.

For Sadie in particular, this home is a place of immense sentimental importance: ‘My youngest children were born here,’ she explains. ‘I’m very emotionally a ached to our home and everything about it works for us as a family – it has a good energy – nothing is too precious.’

The living room walls are painted in Farrow & Ball’s Railings, the Connor sofa is from Made and the gold side table is from Zara Home. Find a similar table lamp at Graham & Green. LEFT In the garden, the antique metal table and chair were sourced at a Normandy brocante and the wooden stools are from La Redoute.

ABOVE The vintage shelving unit in Sadie’s kitchen came from a French boulangerie. The rest of the kitchen is freestanding and was made from reclaimed scaffolding planks.

RIGHT The painted bowl is from Lavender Room in Brighton and the decorative cups are Vietnamese. Track down a similar serving dish at Anthropologie.

The dining table was made by Sadie’s father-in-law, and has been painted in several different colours over the years. The antique sideboard came from a junk shop and the antique French mirror is from Portobello Road. The woven rug is Brigitte Bardot for La Redoute.

TOP LEFT Sadie’s bed is from Warren Evans and is one of her favourite items. ‘It’s big enough for the whole family,’ she laughs. The vintage wedding blanket (on the bed) came from Marrakech.

RIGHT The 1930s mirror is from Snoopers Paradise flea market in Brighton and the Berber rug was sourced from a shop in North Laine.

LEFT The antique French wardrobe was what Sadie terms a ‘Street Treat’.

A reclaimed vintage luggage rack in Sadie’s hallway is ideal for family living. The graphic tote bags are from her feminist fashion brand.

ABOVE & RIGHT Sadie’s bathroom is painted in Farrow & Ball’s Oval Room Blue and the reclaimed shutters came from Design Vintage. Find similar tiles at Bert & May.

BELOW This bedroom belongs to Sadie’s youngest son, Emmanuel. The rocking chair was found at Ardingly International Antiques & Collectors Fair. Pick up pom-poms and bunting in a similar style at Talking Tables.