Traces through TIME

Medieval timbers, mid-century modernism and an intriguing mix of vintage nds combine to create a relaxed family home

As Roberta Ashley opens the ancient front door of her timber-framed home in rural Kent, it’s immediately clear the house has stood the test of time: dark beams criss-cross the low ceilings and the wonky walls are a mixture of wood panelling and whitewashed lime. ‘It was built before Henry VIII was even born,’ says Roberta, adding that the gloriously solid front door is as old as the house and has been welcoming visitors for ve centuries.

Built in 1475, the building is a ne example of a Wealden hall house. ‘It’s a type of architecture unique to the Weald and most common in Kent and East Sussex,’ explains Roberta, who shares her home with her partner, Zefa Mongan, and their son, Rudi. The property was most likely built for a local yeoman, who would have owned and cultivated his own farmland.

Originally, the house would have consisted of a large hall, open to the

roof, with a hearth in the middle around which the household could eat and socialise. ‘Modern’ improvements happened in the 1600s, when a ceiling and staircase were added to create a separate upstairs, and the central hearth was moved and rebuilt as an inglenook replace. At some point, the thatched roof was replaced with Kent peg tiles and interior panelling was added in the living and dining area.

Despite these interventions, the house retains much of its architectural

‘We wanted something unusual and distinctive that we could make our own,’ says Roberta. ‘Although we weren’t looking in this part of Kent initially, the house popped up in an online search.’

integrity and it’s easy to see why Roberta and Zefa were so keen to call it home. ‘Zefa is an interior architect and I love interiors and antiques, and studied history at university – I’m fascinated by how people used to live.’

Keen to start a family, the couple decided to leave London for a more relaxed lifestyle with a greater sense of community. ‘We wanted something unusual and distinctive that we could make our own,’ says Roberta. ‘Although we weren’t looking in this part of Kent initially, the house popped up in an online search and we fell in love with it straightaway.’

Installing gas central heating is the only real modification the couple have made and, because the building has Grade II*-listed status, this meant applying for and satisfying planning regulations. ‘When we moved in, the heating was provided by an Aga and three woodburners,’ laughs Roberta. ‘We had lots of snow that winter and it was hard work keeping the house

warm. It gave us a sense of what it would have been like in the Middle Ages!’ Then it was simply a matter of refreshing the decor throughout the house. Roberta chose fresh white walls upstairs and a dark, muted palette for the ground oor to complement the imposing beams and wood panelling, giving the house a sophisticated feel that suits their eclectic mix of antique and vintage pieces. ‘Zefa is more of a modernist and loves the midcentury era onwards, hence the Eames chair and so on,’ Roberta says, while she favours antiques and ea-market style.

Her keen eye for vintage treasure is evident throughout the house, and Roberta has now turned her love of the old and unusual into a successful online emporium, Hunt The Pearl, which specialises in sourcing and selling rustic and vintage homewares. Providing a backdrop of wobbly walls, rustic beams and leaded windows, the house is as much a star of the online show as the vintage pieces on sale. But while Roberta is happy to post these o to clients across the globe, it’s clear from the little curated collections around the house that some are deemed far too special to make their way out of the centuries-old wooden front door just yet.

The living room is situated in what originally would have been the main hall. The huge fireplace was made in the 17th century, when the upper floor was created. The wood panelling was a slightly later addition. Zefa collects mid-century furniture, such as this Eames Lounge chair, c1956, which looks completely at home in its medieval surroundings.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP The structural beams show where the hall would once have been partitioned. The sofa is from Loaf, the French armoire came from Three Angels in Hove; vintage French manuscripts and newspapers sit on the high, wooden mantelpiece; Roberta bought the typewriter at Sunbury Antiques Market.

ABOVE FROM LEFT Zefa built and installed the island to create more storage space and to make the kitchen more of a sociable, family space; a vintage hat tin, bought at Kempton antiques market, makes a charming bread bin. BELOW The utilitarian station clock provides a striking contrast to the vintage dresser that Roberta found on eBay. Both look good against the matt black walls.

The kitchen is on the site of the medieval pantry, a room in which food was both stored and prepared. The brick arch behind the Aga is all that remains of the old bread oven. When the couple moved in, the kitchen units were cream with a white splashback – combined with the dark terracotta quarry tiles and bright red Aga, Roberta felt there were too many colours. She opted to paint everything, including the walls, a unifying black, which serves to tie everything together visually.

The ceiling in the main bedroom is open to the top of the roof space. The Eames RAR rocking chair is one of Zefa’s favourite pieces. RIGHT The couple installed tongue and groove in the bathroom and used a length of reclaimed oak to make a ledge along the bath.

ABOVE In contrast to the ground floor, the rooms upstairs are bright and airy. The walls in Rudi’s bedroom are hung with framed animal portraits. RIGHT On the upstairs landing, a vintage draper’s dummy, which the couple bought at a local auction, acts as a coat and hatstand. The framed architectural drawings came from Ardingly antiques fair.