An antiques-filled former malthouse in Hungerford

Katie O’Sullivan’s talent as an equestrian artist is clearly etched into her Hungerford home, which reveals a love of detail, history and romance. Photographs Jan Baldwin

By Katie Pike

Published: Tuesday, 09 May 2023 at 12:00 am

When Katie O’Sullivan was 16, something happened that could have put her off antiques for life. ‘Every Saturday morning my six siblings and I would go to Camden Passage in London with our parents,’ she says.

‘One day I spotted a merry-go-round for sale. It was stripped so I thought that I could paint the whole thing myself. My father bought me one of the individual horses, which I kept in my bedroom. Whenever anyone stayed the night, they swore they could see it moving! Eventually I put it in the woodshed, so that I could start painting it. The following day the woodshed burned down…’

Luckily, Katie wasn’t deterred. The fact that antiques have had so many lives is something that still appeals, each piece leaving her wondering: ‘Where has it lived and where has it been?’

A love of painting is another trait that’s stayed with Katie, now an artist specialising in horses and portraiture. Many of her paintings feature in her home – a former malthouse that dates, in part, to 1545.

It would be fair to assume that these provided the basis for how she’s decided to decorate each room but actually, says Katie, ‘the furniture always comes first. I start with a key piece and the accessories, wall colour and artwork evolve from that. I’ll sometimes paint a piece to go in a certain spot though.’

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Katie’s organic approach – where pieces are bought on a whim when she sees them – results in a relaxed, homely feel, where nothing is forced. Despite the handsome furniture and collections (although Katie admits that ‘nothing has huge provenance’), this is a family home, full of children and dogs. ‘I think it’s important for children not to grow up in grey minimal houses. Being surrounded by interesting antiques enriches you.’

Katie’s love of antiques is fed by her close proximity to Hungerford’s various antiques shops and so frequent are her trips that eyebrows have been raised. ‘When Jamie and I first got together he thought I had a boyfriend in Hungerford as I’d disappear there for hours,’ she laughs.

‘The dealers tell me when they’re off on buying trips to France so I know the best time to drop by. I’m in love with French furniture and have always been drawn to gold leaf, inlaid wood – the really ornate stuff. I think it comes from being an artist – I love detail.’ But isn’t it all terribly expensive? ‘You don’t have to buy hugely valuable pieces,’ she says. ‘Beautiful interiors can be created by placing striking pieces next to each other.’

Part of the joy of this house is that the family’s interests, from horse riding (Jamie is a former jockey and now a racehorse trainer, while Saffie is a keen rider) to Katie’s weakness for blue-and-white porcelain, are embedded in almost every room.

Saffie’s many rosettes add colour to the low beams in the flagstone-floored entrance hall, while Chinese pieces are seamlessly combined with French items in the recently added dining room and conservatory.

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‘When I left art school, I worked one day a week for a restorer in Bermondsey Market. My job involved restoring worn-away paint on blue-and-white porcelain. I would spend my whole week’s wages buying porcelain and it has been a passion ever since,’ says Katie.

When the family bought the house 20 years ago, Katie already knew it well. It had been owned by her best friend and came with plenty of memories attached. Buying the house had been a long-held dream, but Katie had to play the waiting game for it to come up for sale.

‘A lady had bought it two years before but never lived in it. Luckily I heard on the grapevine that it was coming up for sale again and so I decided to approach her directly. It had ivy growing through the windows but I still loved it. The beams give it such atmosphere. It has lived an extraordinary life and seen extraordinary things. It wraps itself around you.’

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Artist Katie O’Sullivan lives in this former malthouse near Hungerford in Berkshire, with her husband Jamie, a racehorse trainer, and their children, Woolfie (24), Tom (23), Hubie (16) and Saffie (14).
Jan Baldwin
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The Queen Mary table in the sitting room belonged to Katie’s family. ‘My parents bought it from Bonhams after the war when furniture was cheap. Unfortunately my father used it as his cocktail table – he spilled whisky on it and it’s badly damaged.’ The Louis XVI French chairs either side and the mirror were from Youlls Antiques.
Jan Baldwin
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‘These are part of a vast collection of racing books – they detail every horse race in England,’ says Katie. ‘They belonged to my ex-husband’s grandfather. You’d never find a set like this sold together now – the first books date from 1703 and the collection goes up to the present day.’
Jan Baldwin
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Katie works on a piece in her studio.
Jan Baldwin
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The rosettes adorning the beams have all been won by Katie’s daughter, Saffie. The blue-and-white ginger jars are antique Chinese pieces, bought from Indigo Antiques, while the display above showcases Jamie’s glass racing trophies. The chair is from Youlls Antiques and dates from 1880.
Jan Baldwin
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The medicine cabinets behind the sofa are from Indigo Antiques and date from the 19th century while the birdcage was designed by Katie and made by a blacksmith. The antique French bergères are from Youlls Antiques, while the lamps are made from tea caddies that Katie brought back from Hong Kong.
Jan Baldwin
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Blue-and-white china dominates the decorative scheme of the kitchen. The ‘Clothes Boiler’ pot is from Hungerford Arcade.
Jan Baldwin
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A French cabinet, which used to be a washstand, is displayed underneath two of Katie’s paintings in the living room.
Jan Baldwin
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East meets West in the dining room where both blue-and-white china and old French duck terrine jars are displayed in a second-hand dresser found in Wales. The lights are from Blanchard Collective. The cabinet is new, made from reclaimed wood, and the table is from Garden Art Plus in Hungerford.
Jan Baldwin
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The bed in the master bedroom is from And So To Bed and the chairs are from Youlls Antiques. The kidney-shaped table is from Hungerford Arcade. Find similar cushions at Amara.
Jan Baldwin
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Katie has framed engravings of Tudor figures, dating from 1738, in the bathroom. ‘I made them using a book that I bought from Hungerford Arcade,’ says Katie.
Jan Baldwin

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