{"id":16671,"date":"2022-11-14T10:55:34","date_gmt":"2022-11-14T09:55:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homesandantiques.com\/?p=37094"},"modified":"2022-11-14T11:10:11","modified_gmt":"2022-11-14T10:10:11","slug":"a-victorian-home-with-an-eclectic-mix-of-styles","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/homesantiques\/rss_feed\/a-victorian-home-with-an-eclectic-mix-of-styles\/","title":{"rendered":"A Victorian home with an eclectic mix of styles"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>

By Katie Pike\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Monday, 14 November 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

\n\n

\u2018Victorian boxes, exquisite antique clothes, ostrich feather boas\u2026 I wasn\u2019t into the sorts of things that other girls my age were,\u2019 says Louise Convert of her childhood obsessions. Louise goes on to explain that when she was growing up, her bedroom was something of an ever-expanding museum. \u2018When I was eight years old, I remember going to an auction<\/a> with my mum and going bananas for an antique<\/a> laundry basket. She couldn\u2019t understand why on earth I wanted it,\u2019 she says.<\/p>\n

Louise\u2019s antiquing habit clearly started young \u2013 the result of many weekends spent \u2018traipsing around every antiques shop<\/a> going\u2019 in the Cotswolds with her parents. Today, her love of antique and vintage pieces \u2013 for items that \u2018tell a story and have patina<\/a>\u2019 \u2013 translates into a home filled with intriguing pieces. Rather than being wedded to items from a specific era or style, Louise opts for \u2018slightly unusual pieces\u2019 \u2013 preferring a more eclectic look. \u2018I try to avoid playing it safe,\u2019 she says.<\/p>\n

Louise\u2019s St Leonards home, which she shares with husband Guy and their two children, Annique and Felix, provides the perfect foil for her slightly theatrical take on interiors. The mid-Victorian house, which sits on a hill and overlooks the sea, was built by Decimus Burton. A prot\u00e9g\u00e9 of John Nash, Burton was famed for the grand proportions of his buildings.<\/p>\n

This villa is no exception. To get a sense of its scale, a full-height wooden giraffe fits neatly on the wall of the staircase. \u2018I spotted it at a local antiques shop<\/a> and had to have it,\u2019 says Louise. \u2018The builders were rather puzzled when I asked if a full-sized giraffe would fit in our hallway\u2026\u2019<\/p>\n

You might also like<\/strong> a Victorian house in Wiltshire<\/a><\/p>\n

Elsewhere, vast chandeliers are hung from the ceilings (the design in the living room is so large that the sash windows had to be removed in order to get it inside), sizeable urns hold palms and all of the baths are free-standing. \u2018The space allows our collections to breathe,\u2019 enthuses Louise.<\/p>\n

If it all sounds rather expensive, it\u2019s reassuring to know that Louise has a secret weapon: eBay. She uses the site to hunt for everything from Rug Company rugs and marble Metro kitchen tiles to antique French armoires. \u2018I\u2019m slightly addicted,\u2019 she admits. \u2018It\u2019s the thrill of winning.\u2019<\/p>\n

Other pieces were brought from the family\u2019s previous home (an angular 1970s build described by friends as a \u2018Bond house\u2019) or bought from local antiques shops<\/a>. Favourite pieces include the 1970s rosewood sideboard in the dining room and the glass sculpture that sits on top of it, both bought from Vincenzo Caffarella at Alfies Antique Market.<\/p>\n

Their collection of glass deserves a mention, too. \u2018We do like our glass and collect it from all over. We\u2019re drawn to the shape and colour of pieces, rather than looking for works by a certain designer or maker. Some are from Glass Etc in Rye, others from Alfies and a few were found in charity shops,\u2019 says Louise.<\/p>\n

You might also like<\/strong> Annie Sloan\u2019s colourful Victorian house<\/a><\/p>\n

The family bought the house five years ago and its transformation into one home from various flats took 18 months. The kitchen and bathrooms were started from scratch, a 1950s shower was removed from the dining room, and the staircase was relocated. Where original features had been removed, Louise and Guy reinstated them.<\/p>\n

\u2018If there were things which we could see were missing, we asked ourselves, \u201cWould they have been there originally and how can we put them back in?\u201d\u2019 she explains. Ceiling roses and cornicing were reintroduced and the vast sash window in the hallway was unveiled. Most noticeably, perhaps, are the Carrara marble fireplace surrounds.<\/p>\n

\u2018When we moved in, there weren\u2019t any fireplaces in the dining room or living room and the fireplaces in the upstairs bedrooms were boarded up. We tried to find surrounds which matched those in neighbouring houses \u2013 it was a bit of a challenge but we did it,\u2019 says Louise.<\/p>\n