A FINE VINTAGE
Georgina and Nigel Salter have painstakingly renovated their historic longhouse, enhancing the interiors with their eclectic finds
The incredible restoration of a historic house
TIMEWORN CHARM
During their first freezing winter living in the house, the family camped out in the snug. ‘Thanks to the wood burner, it was the one room that we could all keep warm in – the five of us even slept in here during a power cut,’ recalls Georgina. The bespoke fitted cabinetry, which is made from oak and finished with leather handles, was designed to blend in with the beautifully weathered beams and display pieces picked up over the years, including sculptural vases and a ceramic bull from local antiques shop In Da Cottage in Framlingham. Tactile choices, such as a sofa in Harris Tweed, add to the cosy feeling of the space.
WHO LIVES HERE
Illustrator Georgina Salter, her husband Nigel, a management consultant, and their children, Marnie, 16, Rory, 14, and Thibaud, 12, live in this Grade Ii-listed Suffolk longhouse. Working with an artisan builder, they renovated the historic house, which consists of two farm buildings dating from the 16th and 17th centuries joined together.
PALE AND INTERESTING
A contemporary pendant light by Petite Friture hangs in the 17th-century entrance hall, where a knocked-back palette gives the space a feeling of serenity. ‘We were guided by the pale beams and the textural limewashed walls,’ explains Georgina. The couple sourced a pair of pale linen armchairs so they can enjoy drinks in front of the open fire. The armchair by the window is an upcycled junk shop find. The photographic print was the cover for the book A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry, bought by Nigel as a birthday gift for Georgina when he was working with its photographer, Dario Mitidieri.
RETRO ACTIVE
When the family moved to Suffolk from London, they brought some mid-century pieces with them, including classic DSW chairs by Charles and Ray Eames; the colours pop against the muted tones of the beams and tiled floor. ‘The seats are all original fibreglass and we sourced some on ebay, adding new bases,’ says Georgina. She commissioned her carpenter to make a large table. ‘We needed to be able to host a crowd,’ she explains. Modern designs sit happily with traditional antiques. ‘We like the mix of eras and didn’t want rooms to look too polished or contrived,’ she adds. Left of the fireplace is a simple wall light from Emery & Cie.
ISLAND LIFE
Dating to the 16th century, the kitchen lies in the oldest part of the house. ‘The previous owners had bought the building as a wreck and they only managed to carry out the first phase of the works, so when we moved in, there were no units or worktops in the kitchen, and cooking took place on an old Esse stove,’ says Georgina. ‘We installed the Aga and commissioned a local carpenter to make the cupboards. I didn’t want it to look too much like a fitted kitchen, so I made the island unit from an old workbench salvaged from a science lab, and asked the carpenter to shorten the legs.’ Traditional hand painted tiles from Fired Earth introduce a touch of pattern above the Aga, while stools from Normann Copenhagen lend a contemporary edge. The tiles on the floor are an original feature and have been painstakingly restored and resealed.
STEP BACK IN TIME
Defined by the weathered beams and undulating walls of its era, the house now showcases a mix of mid-century finds, and antiques picked up at local fairs and flea markets. ‘We have installed underfloor heating beneath the flagstones in the 17th-century entrance hall, so this space really comes into its own during the colder months,’ says Georgina.
BLONDE BEAUTY
‘This room was created in the Victorian era to join the two farm buildings together,’ says Georgina of the ‘mud room’ between the kitchen and entrance hall, which still displays its servants’ bell system. The room is used as Georgina’s work space, where she creates her illustrations. She has furnished it with blonde wood pieces picked up at local antiques fairs and junk shops.
SIMPLY DOES IT
The beautiful weathered beams form a decorative feature in their own right, prompting Georgina to furnish this space in a simple fashion in order to showcase them to full effect. The contemporary upholstered bed from B&B Italia is dressed with a cotton throw and cushions in soft shades of grey, while above it hangs one of Georgina’s own illustrations of a butterfly. The rooms leading off this space – an anteroom that serves as a dressing room and, up the stairs to the left of the bed, the couple’s en suite bathroom – reveal the wonkiness of the house in all its glory, with different levels and uneven walls.
SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW
Georgina and Nigel restored the antique bath and added a walk-in shower, which features tiles in a subtle metallic finish. The panelling was an orangey pine, which the couple transformed by painting it off-white. It provides a textural backdrop to a collection of old mirrors that Georgina has hung in a tight grouping to create a feature. A console basin adds a timeless touch.
TWO’S COMPANY
When the family first moved in, the window in this attic space didn’t even shut. ‘We had draughts blowing through the room that could lift the rug,’ recalls Georgina. Now, the space is a warm and inviting guest room, furnished with a pair of painted iron beds. Subtle pattern comes in the form of floral bunting, Welsh blankets and cushions in a retro-style print. A sisal rug completes the modern country aesthetic.
MELLOW YELLOW
The ochre exterior chimes with the vernacular of the building. With garden designer Ed Hopkins, the couple remodelled the gardens, turning the rest of their 45 acres into a nature reserve. Wild visitors abound, from barn owls to otters to great crested newts.
VERY MOORISH
The family bathroom features richly-patterned Moorish-style tiles from Fired Earth. These add colour and depth to the space and serve as a vibrant foil to the sculptural copper bath and a stone sink on a plinth made of timber and slate by Georgina’s carpenter. Shelves made from oak marry well with the scheme.