{"id":17871,"date":"2022-12-24T09:30:20","date_gmt":"2022-12-24T08:30:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homesandantiques.com\/?p=37683"},"modified":"2022-12-24T10:36:37","modified_gmt":"2022-12-24T09:36:37","slug":"a-colourful-victorian-home-in-rye","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/homesantiques\/rss_feed\/a-colourful-victorian-home-in-rye\/","title":{"rendered":"A colourful Victorian home in Rye"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Christianne Raymer\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Saturday, 24 December 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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The whitewashed exterior of Michael Jones and Michael (Mikey) Beatt\u2019s Victorian home gives little clue as to the delights that lie beyond its front door. Stepping over the threshold, visitors are greeted by colour and character in spades, with intriguing collections at every turn. Dark grey walls on the ground floor provide a neutral backdrop for their collection of gilt-framed floral still lifes \u2013 picked up at flea markets over the years \u2013 and cushions and kilims in rich shades of red, ochre and teal<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u2018We don\u2019t follow any style rules but just fill our home with the things we love,\u2019 says Michael, who is responsible for choosing most of the furniture. \u2018I\u2019m into the details,\u2019 says Mikey, adding that he is the one who tends towards obsession from time to time. \u2018For a few weeks I\u2019ll be fixated on finding the perfect candlesticks<\/a>,\u2019 he says. \u2018And then I\u2019ll move on to something else. It can be quite specific, like 1970s Wedgwood glass or Victorian mantel dogs.\u2019 All are in evidence, thoughtfully arranged on shelves and above the fireplaces throughout the house.<\/p>\n

The couple moved to Rye nine years ago, prompted by their desire to devote more time to their newly launched homewares business, Hunter Jones. \u2018We wanted to expand and start adding textiles<\/a>, candles and ceramics<\/a>,\u2019 says Mikey, who was working in sales at the time, while Michael was working in product development. \u2018We were living in Camberwell in south-east London and we knew we could halve our overheads by moving out to the countryside. It would also give us the freedom to put our energies into the business.\u2019<\/p>\n

Situated on the edge of Romney Marsh, a few miles inland from the sea, Rye has the air of both a seaside town and a country village. The couple discovered the area while attending a friend\u2019s birthday party one weekend. Won over by its half-timbered houses and the picture-perfect cobbled streets that meander up to an ancient church whose spire can be seen for miles around, they started house hunting. \u2018We had a beautiful weekend,\u2019 Michael recalls. \u2018It felt like the town was evolving \u2013 new shops were opening and things were happening.\u2019<\/p>\n

The couple soon found a small fisherman\u2019s cottage<\/a> in the old town. \u2018I loved the house straightaway. It was the attic bedroom that sold it to me because it\u2019s just gorgeous, tucked away in the eaves,\u2019 says Michael. Though tiny at just 2.7 metres wide, the two-bedroom property is the perfect showcase for their many and varied collections of art and antiques. Beyond redecorating, they have largely left the space untouched, though dated units in the kitchen were replaced, and open shelves installed along the walls, making good use of the limited space.<\/p>\n

While the ground floor is a cosy mix of colourful rugs and cushions, and the furniture is upholstered<\/a> in jewel-toned velvets and linens, upstairs the mood is lighter and brighter \u2013 the bedrooms and bathroom, painted in pale chalky shades of pink and blue, feel restful and calm. Everywhere one looks there are thoughtfully arranged antiques<\/a> and objects \u2013 the walls hung with a mix of paintings and prints and, in the bathroom, there is a charming group of antique hand mirrors.<\/p>\n

\u2018We trawled the many car boot sales in the area and spent hours at Rye Auction Galleries and Watsons Auctioneers in Heathfield,\u2019 says Mikey, adding that they also source things when on holiday, taking time to seek out artists and makers in search of unique pieces to bring home. \u2018We have a full house now,\u2019 admits Mikey, \u2018so we are trying to buy less.\u2019<\/p>\n

They sell collections they\u2019ve had enough of, \u2018or we move them to a less prominent position\u2019. Achieving this mix has been a slow and organic process: Michael and Mikey try to steer clear of what\u2019s in fashion, preferring to be led by their hearts. \u2018We are drawn to exotic pieces, like Persian and Moroccan accessories. But generally, when we like something, we go for it and make it work. We don\u2019t think about it too much,\u2019 says Michael.<\/p>\n

Life in Rye has certainly lived up to their expectations. \u2018After living in London, the Sussex countryside feels a more natural fit,\u2019 says Michael. \u2018We both grew up surrounded by greenery, so this feels like coming home.\u2019 What\u2019s more, the business has gone from strength to strength. They now have their own shop off the high street, which has allowed them to expand their own range and to add local handmade ceramics. \u2018We try to support up-and-coming potters,\u2019 says Mikey.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s very much a joint venture \u2013 Mikey is the face of Hunter Jones while Michael works as general manager at draper Merchant & Mills just around the corner. Their homewares have gone down a storm in the area and it\u2019s not unusual to walk into a house in Rye and its environs and see a Hunter Jones rug in the hallway.<\/p>\n

The couple\u2019s laid-back aesthetic has attracted a real following. \u2018It\u2019s easy for anyone to have a nice home,\u2019 says Michael, \u2018but unless you trust your instincts, you won\u2019t make it yours.\u2019 In filling the house with treasures collected over the years, that\u2019s exactly what Michael and Mikey have done, and their home brims with charm as well as personality.<\/p>\n