Period Charm
Rebecca and Michael Newman wanted a modern townhouse, but fell in love with this rose-covered, 16th-century historic cottage in a Sussex village. They then filled the interiors with family heirlooms, classic finds and contemporary artworks
The one knew her husband, Michael, decided to leave London, was to live in an old house. ‘People say there’s nothing quite thing Rebecca Newman she didn’t want when she and like a period property; that it has a charm you simply can’t recreate,’ says Rebecca. ‘It wasn’t that I didn’t believe them exactly, but top of my list of priorities was a house that needed little maintenance, on the outskirts of a large town.’
It’s safe to say that a nearly 500-year-old Tudor hall house, tucked away in a small Sussex village, was the polar opposite of almost everything Rebecca had envisaged. ‘At the time there wasn’t much on the market, so we actually went to view the property pretty much just to rule it out,’ she recalls. ‘But as soon as we knocked on the four-inch thick solid oak door, and walked over the ancient threshold, we knew it was the one for us – there was something about the atmosphere that completely drew us in.’
Rebecca and Michael’s house is a Grade II-listed Tudor hall house dating back to 1540, and one of the first houses to be built in the village. Originally used as two dwellings, it comprises a kitchen, sitting room, three bedrooms, bathroom and an attic. PHOTOGRAPHS ROBERT SANDERSON 
The huge oak front door retains its original bolts and features a splendid solid brass Victorian door knocker that was rescued from Rebecca’s mother’s front door when she moved house 
the original oak door opens onto a small area which is used for coats and boots, as indicated by the old shop sign that Michael found in antiques shop After Noah. 
the garden is filled with rambling roses and mature trees and the family use it for al fresco dining in the summer months
Dating back to 1540, the property was originally two co ages that probably shared the same inglenook replace. In nearly 500 years of existence, the house has seen many people pass through the heavy front door, some more famous than others: legend has it that Henry VIII used to stay here while he was on hunting trips. Soon a er the couple moved in, a previous owner got in touch. ‘She had been born in the house and was nearly 90 when she came round for coffiee,’ Rebecca recalls, ‘and she remembered her father walking up the garden path to tell her that war had been declared. She also told us about the moment her mother witnessed a Messerschmi y by so low that she could see the pilot. Much to her annoyance, he could also see her, which was highly embarrassing as she was si ing on the loo at the time!’
Back to the 21st century, and after a protracted purchase ordeal that saw the sale chain collapse at least twice, the property finally belonged to the Newmans. When they moved in, however, they realised that although the house was over owing with character, nooks, crannies and even the odd priest hole, it was also quite cold.
‘As soon as we knocked on the solid oak door and walked over the ancient threshold, we knew it was the one for us – there was something about the atmosphere that completely drew us in’
‘Particularly in the sitting room,’ says Rebecca. ‘However much we appreciated their vintage, terracota tiles aren’t necessarily right for a room that we wanted to be cosy and relaxed, particularly in the winter months.’
Resolving the situation presented something of a conundrum: li ing the tiles would not only be extremely costly, but also the age of the building meant they might nd there were no foundations on which to lay a replacement. Meanwhile, simply adding a new floor on top of the tiles would significantly reduce the ceiling height. After much thought, Rebecca came up with the idea of installing a large piece of carpet with whipped edges for most of the room’s surface, on top of which she added a rug. This versatile and cheaper option warmed up the room and made it lighter, but it also meant they could keep the hardwearing tiles exposed for the areas of heavy traffic into the garden.
The handmade wood and glass display cabinet once belonged to a shopkeeper in India, and was brought over and upcycled at Trading Boundaries, a local independent shop. The daffodil still-life above was painted by a family friend, Virginia Hiller 
lots of people would have this Willow-pattern plate on display, but Rebecca and Michael are firm believers in using items for their original purpose 
Michael inherited the ship jug from his aunt, who collected lustreware. The mug beside it is from his favourite shop, Astier de Villatte 
the kitchen was one of the few rooms that needed a revamp, so Rebecca and Michael replaced the cabinets and cooker. And, as a nod to their city roots, they added splashbacks in white metro tiles.
Having resolved this challenge, the couple were able to consider which furniture to include from their previous home. The area of Sussex they’ve moved to is peppered with quality antiques shops, quirky boutiques and auction houses, so it was tempting to start again. ‘It has been known for us to drop our son, Bobby, at school, and then nip o for a spot of bargain hunting,’ admits Rebecca. ‘We had both inherited a few antiques from different periods, ranging from Regency chairs to an Edwardian chest of drawers, and they t perfectly in their new surroundings. But, although the house is 500 years old and we wanted to keep that vintage feel, we also didn’t want the interior to resemble a museum,’ she says.
With this in mind, Rebecca and Michael carefully chose a few more contemporary items to lift the look of the room schemes. One of the easiest ways to do this was through the fabrics they chose for curtains and upholstery. ‘I went for thick, quality velvets in fun pa erns, as well as classic plain shades throughout the house,’ says Rebecca. ‘I think creating a look that manages to incorporate old and new, and that also suits life in the 21st century, is quite a skill. Luckily, my husband has a very good eye for this and has a great collection of classic and contemporary artwork that he has collated over the years, from artists including Jan Pie kowski, Virginia Hiller and Kenneth Halliday, who are all family friends,’ she says. ‘We love having things in our house that mean something to us – paintings or items of furniture that have a personal connection or a nice story behind them.’
Although the house is exactly what Rebecca thought she didn’t want, the couple have managed to turn it into their perfect family home. ‘It’s not what we were after,’ says Rebecca, ‘but the history and stories of the place really make us feel part of its evolving nature – we feel privileged to be custodians of such a beautiful and characterful place.’
The hand-painted chest of drawers in the bedroom came from a Georgian country house, and the couple found it in an antiques shop in Clapham, London. The bedspread was a wedding present from their friends, while the seascape painting, by Sarah Butterworth, was a birthday present from Michael to Rebecca. The Ascher table lamp is from Pooky and works well with the blue scheme 
Michael bought the seaweed pictures, seen hanging in the beamed bathroom, from Studio Pike in Issigeac, France, while they were on a family holiday. The hand-painted chinoiserie chair dates back to the 1820s and had belonged to Michael’s parents. The fun fabric for the blind is Aesop – Green from Linwood’s Fable collection, featuring tigers, deer and birds. 
a view from the hallway into the downstairs bedroom, which was once an air raid shelter. The chair belonged to Michael’s great-aunt, who loved the Shaker style, and the mirror with the green wooden frame was a lucky find at Pastorale Antiques in Lewes