{"id":14142,"date":"2022-09-12T09:30:53","date_gmt":"2022-09-12T07:30:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homesandantiques.com\/?p=34855"},"modified":"2022-09-12T10:01:09","modified_gmt":"2022-09-12T08:01:09","slug":"a-georgian-home-in-the-medieval-town-of-alfriston","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/homesantiques\/rss_feed\/a-georgian-home-in-the-medieval-town-of-alfriston\/","title":{"rendered":"A Georgian home in the medieval town of Alfriston"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Molly Malsom\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Monday, 12 September 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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William Emmett\u2019s love of antiques<\/a> started when he was just a little boy. He recalls sitting in his mother\u2019s embroidery shop in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, during the summer holidays and, to pass the time, he\u2019d nip out and browse all of the local antiques shops<\/a>. \u2018I\u2019d buy the odd piece and, before I knew it, I\u2019d filled my bedroom with pocket-money finds. I had a large, iron-framed bed, used Victorian oil lamps instead of electric lights, and I hand-painted the walls to look like wallpaper. Eventually, it was a near perfect replica of a c1880s bedroom,\u2019 he says.<\/p>\n

This passion for antiques has stayed with William throughout his life \u2013 so much so that three years ago he and his partner Nicholas (who was brought up surrounded by antiques) decided to open an antiques shop in Alfriston. \u2018Our previous home was bursting at the seams with our antiques, so opening the shop meant that we could continue collecting, as well as being able to share our finds with others,\u2019 says William.<\/p>\n

The shop is located beneath their home in a Georgian<\/a> building within the medieval town of Alfriston. As William explains, it\u2019s elegantly simple from the outside, while the interior is opulent and almost theatrical. Walls are painted in rich hues punctuated by oils in gilt frames, floors overlaid with Persian rugs and antique table tops filled with curiosities. It\u2019s hard to imagine now, but when the couple moved here, the walls were pure 90s magnolia.<\/p>\n

You might also like<\/strong> a Georgian villa on Kent\u2019s coast<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2018Before deciding how to decorate, I sat in each empty room and thought about how I wanted them to feel. Then I came up with colour schemes that reflected the Georgian origins of the house and its different incarnations. The palettes I chose are taken from grander buildings than this one \u2013 inspired by the Duchess of Devonshire\u2019s house on the Chatsworth estate<\/a>, Stafford Terrace, The Yellow Room at Colefax & Fowler\u2019s previous showroom and Charleston Farmhouse, although I also take ideas from more humble homes, too,\u2019 he says.<\/p>\n

In terms of favourite eras, William has definite preferences and it\u2019s this mix of styles that keeps their home exciting. \u2018I love the Renaissance, Empire and Arts and Crafts<\/a> periods, and I\u2019m inspired by the Bloomsbury Set,\u2019 he says.<\/p>\n

The interior of this home reflects the owners\u2019 varied tastes. \u2018For the kitchen, we decided to keep things simple and fresh, while for the drawing room I went for Regency splendour,\u2019 says William. It wasn\u2019t easy getting exactly the right shade for the walls, though \u2013 in the end they needed six coats of paint. \u2018In the evening, the room comes to life with the candles and table lamps<\/a>, and it feels as if you\u2019ve stepped back in time,\u2019 he says.<\/p>\n

You might also like<\/strong> inside a colourful Georgian townhouse<\/a><\/p>\n

This room is also home to Nicholas\u2019s favourite item in the house: the 18th-century marquetry William Speakman longcase clock<\/a>. Other treasured pieces include the 16th-century Elizabethan Brussels tapestry depicting a nobleman in a country landscape c1580 and William\u2019s beloved series of Buccellati table lighters. \u2018They\u2019re so over the top and the craftsmanship is fabulous,\u2019 he says. Other favourite collections include pug-related pieces, Fornasetti<\/a> designs, stone specimens, Chinese porcelain<\/a> and vintage clothing<\/a>.<\/p>\n

And is there anything that they absolutely wouldn\u2019t part with? For William, it\u2019s a portrait of Lord Byron and his grandmother\u2019s hairbrush. \u2018I adored her and she was the inspiration for so many things I\u2019ve done in my life,\u2019 he says. For Nicholas, it\u2019s a 19th-century cuckoo and quail clock, and a miniature pair of stepladders. \u2018They were made by my grandfather in his woodworking class at school. The craftsmanship isn\u2019t great and the steps are a bit wonky but, to me, they\u2019re beyond priceless.\u2019<\/p>\n

The house is constantly changing, as William and Nicholas find new pieces to incorporate into their schemes \u2013 something visitors find fascinating. \u2018It\u2019s an over-the-top country house look. We aren\u2019t scared to be bold and eccentric with our interiors. When we have visitors, there\u2019s always so much for them to look at that we don\u2019t get much attention. My sister, Rebecca, is always nervous, as her children like to pick things up. Once my niece, Ella, was running around with a bowl on her head. My sister asked if it was old and I calmly said, \u201cIt\u2019s OK, it\u2019s only 17th-century\u201d. The bowl was put back!\u2019<\/p>\n

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William and Nicholas\u2019s hallway contains many treasures. The 19th-century Turkish rug and garden urn and 18th-century Italian Murano mirrors are all from Mallams Auctioneers.<\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
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The 20th-century gilt ormolu lantern was bought from The Canterbury Auction Galleries, while the 1930s Maison Jansen gilt-framed mirrors were found at a private sale.<\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
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The wall clock on William and Nicholas\u2019s shop and home was added in 1977 to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II\u2019s Silver Jubilee. <\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
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William Emmett and Nicholas White own Emmett & White Antiques and Interiors. They live here with their pugs, Jimmy and Duke, and Fran, a spaniel. <\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
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The walnut berg\u00e8re sofa in the living room is early 20th-century. The wooden statue is a 17th-century carved pine figure of Saint Roch, bought at Ardingly Antiques & Collectors Fair. The Elizabethan Brussels tapestry dates from c1580.<\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
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The clock is a 19th-century French ormolu.<\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
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The shelving unit above the sink is a mid 19th-century gothic revival design, bought at Mallams. <\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
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The 17th-century oak dining table has a secret \u2013 there\u2019s a dough bin hidden under the plank top. The 1930s oil-on-canvas harbour scene is a family piece and the watercolour of the Swiss Alps was commissioned by William\u2019s grandparents. <\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
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Both the 19th century mahogany vitrine filled with curios and mid 20th-century Persian hand-knotted rug were bought at Ardingly Antiques & Collectors Fair.<\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
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The 19th-century leather-cased ivory opera glasses are a family heirloom.<\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
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The 1950s Piero Fornasetti wall plates were bought from Greenslade Taylor Hunt.<\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
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William and Nicholas believe the 19th-century gilt-framed oil-on-board marine picture was probably painted by a member of the crew of the Jeddo \u2013 a passenger liner that sank in 1866 near Mumbai. Thankfully her crew and passengers were all accounted for and rescued. <\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
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The 1920s cupboard in the bathroom was bought at Newark International Antiques & Collectors Fair. The glass jars are Guerlain Mitsouko perfume bottles, bought on eBay. <\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
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The bed is from Laura Ashley and the picture above is an early 20th-century oil on canvas. William made shades from Cole & Son wallpaper to give the bedside lamps a vintage feel.<\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/body><\/html>\n
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By Molly Malsom Published: Monday, 12 September 2022 at 12:00 am William Emmett\u2019s love of antiques started when he was just a little boy. He recalls sitting in his mother\u2019s embroidery shop in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, during the summer holidays and, to pass the time, he\u2019d nip out and browse all of the local antiques shops. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":14143,"template":"","categories":[1,41],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"7"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/49\/2022\/09\/a-georgian-home-in-the-medieval-town-of-alfriston.jpg",1600,1063,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/49\/2022\/09\/a-georgian-home-in-the-medieval-town-of-alfriston-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/49\/2022\/09\/a-georgian-home-in-the-medieval-town-of-alfriston-300x199.jpg",300,199,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/49\/2022\/09\/a-georgian-home-in-the-medieval-town-of-alfriston-768x510.jpg",768,510,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/49\/2022\/09\/a-georgian-home-in-the-medieval-town-of-alfriston-1024x680.jpg",800,531,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/49\/2022\/09\/a-georgian-home-in-the-medieval-town-of-alfriston-1536x1020.jpg",1536,1020,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/49\/2022\/09\/a-georgian-home-in-the-medieval-town-of-alfriston.jpg",1600,1063,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/homesantiques\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"By Molly Malsom Published: Monday, 12 September 2022 at 12:00 am William Emmett\u2019s love of antiques started when he was just a little boy. He recalls sitting in his mother\u2019s embroidery shop in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, during the summer holidays and, to pass the time, he\u2019d nip out and browse all of the local antiques shops.…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/homesantiques\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/14142"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/homesantiques\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/homesantiques\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/homesantiques\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/homesantiques\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14143"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/homesantiques\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14142"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/homesantiques\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14142"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}