{"id":27,"date":"2021-10-07T09:56:35","date_gmt":"2021-10-07T07:56:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homesandantiques.com\/?p=22217"},"modified":"2021-10-12T11:45:47","modified_gmt":"2021-10-12T09:45:47","slug":"restoring-and-decorating-a-victorian-bb","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/homesantiques\/rss_feed\/restoring-and-decorating-a-victorian-bb\/","title":{"rendered":"Restoring and decorating a Victorian B&B"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

Published: Thursday, 07 October 2021 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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Buying the Victorian property<\/h2>\n

Paul Oxborrow and Stephen Groves moved into their Victorian house<\/a> 25 years ago, first buying a flat on the raised ground floor. Living close to the sea appealed to the couple, as did the generous room sizes and the quality of the high Victorian architecture. \u2018The fact that it was also affordable made it an attractive prospect,\u2019 says Paul, \u2018although the decoration, or lack of it, being white throughout, was not to our taste.\u2019<\/p>\n

Subsequently, when the maisonette on the top two floors became available they purchased that as well and, in 2002, when the basement flat came up for sale, they finally had the entire house to themselves \u2013 but not for long. \u2018The idea of running the house as a B&B evolved during the course of the renovation. Most of our guests are here because they love the idea, just as we do, of going back in time to the 19th century,\u2019 says Paul. \u2018It\u2019s been a labour of love and sharing it with our guests is all part of the fun.\u2019<\/p>\n

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\u00a0The attic bedroom, known as \u2018Nanny Hawkins\u2019, after Sebastian\u2019s nanny in Brideshead Revisited, was papered in a timeless floral design from Colefax & Fowler.\u00a0<\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
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Reminiscent of a romantic novel, the flower-themed principal bedroom suite is known as \u2018Mr Parry\u2019, after the owner of St Benedict at the turn of the century. The flower garlands on the doors were painted by local artists Hebe and Alice Wilcock.<\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
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The four-poster, bought from Hastings Antiques Centre, has a canopy of vintage floral fabric stitched by Stephen. The wallpaper from Hamilton Weston is based on that in the Yellow Bedroom at the National Trust\u2019s Uppark House.<\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
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Guests can take tea in their rooms<\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
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The attic floor was styled in a manner appropriate to the bedrooms of 19th-century servants and children. The Old Schoolroom, furnished with a pair of Victorian brass beds, is papered in Child\u2019s Garden by Bradbury & Bradbury, based in California.<\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
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The walls of the hall and stairwell, hung with a collection of vintage Arundel prints of\u00a0 Old Master paintings, are papered with a\u00a0Watts of Westminster design known as Pear in a Wine colourway.<\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
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Designed for entertaining on a grand scale, the double drawing room allows plenty of room for Stephen\u2019s Bl\u00fcthner grand piano. The central section of upholstery on the armchair is original Victorian cut velvet. The rest, beyond repair, was replaced with plain velvet.\u00a0<\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
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The drawing room reflects Stephen and Paul\u2019s decorative flair. The curved cornice was papered with a scrolling border, creating the illusion of gilded plasterwork. The wallpaper is a Watts of Westminster pattern, Venetian in Hampton Yellow. Stephen made the curtains and pelmets.<\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
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A collection of blue and white porcelain stands out against the grand scale of the Watts of Westminster Malvern wallpaper in Arundel Green. The high Victorian style of the dining room, along with attention to period details make it an atmospheric venue for candlelit dinners.<\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
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\u00a0Paul reinstated the dumb waiter and the original flight of stairs from the ground floor. The banisters were made to the same design as those upstairs.\u00a0<\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
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The pantry shelves are stacked with piles of vintage china along with jars of homemade jam and marmalade for guests\u2019 breakfasts. Trees in the extensive garden provide much of the fruit.\u00a0<\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
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The pantry shelves are stacked with piles of vintage china along with jars of homemade jam and marmalade for guests\u2019 breakfasts. Trees in the extensive garden provide much of the fruit.\u00a0<\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
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In the dressing room, a Spanish vitrine contains a collection of netsuke and other delicate objects from the Far East.<\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>

A 19th century style restoration<\/b><\/h2>\n

\u2018The house dates from 1882 but, when it was divided into three flats in the 1920s, some fairly substantial alterations were made,\u2019 Paul continues. \u2018We decided to restore the original layout and decorate in a style appropriate to the age of the house, using antique furniture and vintage fittings wherever possible.\u2019<\/p>\n

While their guests enjoy the novel attractions of the Victorian era for a few nights, Paul and Stephen are immersed in the past full-time; the basement kitchen is startlingly devoid of mod cons. \u2018The sink is now back in the scullery along with the washing machine. That\u2019s a necessity in a B&B,\u2019 Paul points out. \u2018We cook on a reconditioned oil-fired\u00a0<\/span>Aga<\/a> \u2013 a full house generally means serving multiple cooked breakfasts and an Aga is ideal for that.\u2019<\/p>\n

\""Aga\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
A well-used, reconditioned Aga set into the chimney breast, where the original range would have been, is useful when it comes to airing the fine vintage bed linen used in the guest bedrooms.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Restoring the original layout led to a trawl through Hastings Council\u2019s building records. Research is second nature to Paul, who taught religious studies in his previous life. \u2018We wanted to ascertain the exact position of walls and doors and the original staircase. We even reinstated the dumb waiter that had been removed when the building was converted into flats. On busy breakfast mornings it saves so much time being able to send the plates up and down.\u2019<\/p>\n

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