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Home Style: Honouring the Past

Jo Hounsell and husband Mark have sensitively restored this 1930s Art Deco house, retaining its character to honour its past, and creating a much-loved family home

Jo and Mark Hounsell are no strangers to the challenges that come with renovating period properties, having lived in several over the years. Nevertheless, they initially assumed that the 1930s house they bought back in 2016 would be relatively easy to bring up to scratch.

The couple, along with their two daughters, had been happily living in a higgledy-piggledy 17th century farmhouse in rural Kent for the previous eight years. Much as they loved it, as the girls grew up and needed a dedicated space to study, and Mark began to work more regularly from home, it became clear that there wasn’t enough room to accommodate them all comfortably. “Once we’d made our minds up to move, Hastings, which we’ve always loved, was the obvious place to look,” explained Jo. “It has such a fantastic history, the architecture is incredibly diverse, and there’s also a really friendly, creative vibe which appealed to us.”

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Nevertheless, the tired Art Deco house perched high above the town didn’t really tick the boxes. “We’d always been attracted to much older places, and we weren’t sure if this was really ‘us’,” Jo admitted. “However, it was in such a good position, we thought we might as well go and have a look. The minute we walked in, both of us knew without saying a word to each other, that this was the one. There was a really strong emotional pull – we both felt it.”

Indeed, they were soon to discover that three generations of just one family had lived in the house since it had been built, and it had been well loved. “Despite the fact that it was in a terribly dilapidated state, it had obviously been a very happy home – there was something so warm about it,” Jo explained. “We didn’t hesitate to make an offer.”

Despite the good vibes, however, there was no denying the couple had to be incredibly pragmatic to put the house to rights. “All the boring – but necessary (and expensive!) stuff had to be tackled first,” Jo recalled. “That included a new central heating system, along with replacement electrics and wiring: the bedrooms, for instance, still had the original 1930s plug sockets!”

A completely new roof was also essential, along with replacement guttering, rendering and repainting the exterior walls. “We did start to wonder if we’d taken on more than we’d expected,” Jo laughed. “And living here while all the work was being done wasn’t always easy.”

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Previous renovations had taught them a thing or two about living on site. “We knew the importance of having a comfortable room to retreat to at the end of the day, so we turned what had been the dining room at the front of the house into a cosy snug. It meant we could shut the door on all the mess, which made a huge difference.”

The biggest aspect of the renovation was transforming what had been a large living room at the back of the house into a brand-new kitchen and living space, with huge Crittal-style doors leading out to a raised deck. Meanwhile the small existing kitchen next to it was planned as a new study. “We waited a long time to get all the work done because our chosen builder was so booked up,” Jo explained. “But actually that worked in our favour.”

The delay meant that the room could be totally gutted, walls repaired and a new porcelain floor laid, leaving a clean, blank space for the couple to consider how best to make the new kitchen work for them. “Just being able to walk around the empty room and accurately measure where the various elements should go, made it so much easier to imagine,” Jo recalled.

All the family tend to hang out in the kitchen space, either cooking or relaxing, so it needed to work hard. “We essentially created two galley kitchens on either side of the island,” Jo said. “All the ‘proper’ cooking takes place on the side where the range and sink is, so there’s a big pantry cupboard here which also houses a huge fridge and freezer. On the other side, we have a smaller under-counter fridge for snacks and a wine fridge, along with all the tea and coffee-making kit: if someone just wanders in to get a drink or a sandwich, they don’t get in the way of whoever’s cooking. It works brilliantly!”

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The colour scheme throughout the house is based on a variety of tonal greys, carefully chosen to work with the south or north-facing aspects of each room. Against this elegant backdrop, an eclectic combination of furniture from past and present, unique finds, soft textiles and striking artwork bring individuality and interest to what is now a comfortable stylish home.

“We felt such a responsibility to honour the history of the house and the family that had lived here for so long,” Jo said. “Despite all the work we’ve done, we’ve kept as many of the original features as possible, so hopefully the character of the house has been retained.” It also, undeniably, maintains the warm atmosphere that first attracted the couple. Especially during the festive season when the house comes into its own, decorated with fresh winter greenery combined with masses of candles, twinkling lights and much-loved decorations. “At this time of year, we can’t help but imagine all the many family Christmases this house will have seen over the decades,” Jo smiled. “It’s lovely that we’re able to carry on the tradition, and make our own special memories here, too.”

 

Photography: Richard Gadsby/ Living4media
Words: Sharon Parsons/ Living4media

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