25 Beautiful Homes – July 2019

25bh | riverside detached

T

here’ssomethingaboutthefreshseaairthatmakes

ex-LondonersAnnaCarlossandherhusbandJohn

Carverrealisetheyareina partofthecountrythey

wanttocallhomeforever.Theyliveina detached

blackweatherboardhouselocatedonthebanks of a river in

asmalltownneartheEastSussexcoast.

‘Wehaveseveralmeetingsa weekupinLondonandcanfeelour

shouldersrelaxingwhenwesetfootonthetrainhome,’saysAnna.

What’smore,thecouple,whofoundedcreativeagencyCunning,

saytheyarelivingamongkindredspirits.‘Theareaseemstoattract

artistsandwriters,perhapsbecauseit’snotinthecommuterbelt

andit’sstunninglybeautifulandinspiring,’shecontinues.

ThecouplefirstmovedfromLondontotheEastSussex

countryside, with their son Finlay, now 17, in 2007. They bought a

homeina moreruralsetting,whichtheyloved,butasthefamily

grew(sonBodieis now 10 andJohnalsohasa daughter,Minnie,

26)sodidtheirdesiretomovetoa town.Thenthisplacecameup,

andtheyleaptatthechance.‘Wewantedtofeelreconnectedwith

theworld,’saysAnna.Nowtheboyshavefriendswithinwalking

distance,andAnnasays,it oftenfeels‘likePiccadillyCircus.We

haveanopen-doorpolicy– friendsarealwaysinandout.’

Anotherbenefitforthecoupleis theimprovedbroadband

speed.‘Ouroldhousewasreallyhi-tech.But,asa friendoncesaid,

it wasa bitlikehavinga fabuloustapwithnowatercomingout

ofit,becausetheinternetconnectionwassobad,’laughsAnna.

‘Wehadoneofourmaincompanyofficesthere,soit wasdifficult.’

Thefour-bedroomhousewasbuiltapproximately 20 years

ago and has the feel of a luxe, supersized fisherman’s hut from the

LIVINGAREA

Woodcladdingprovides

a rusticbackdropforthe

couple’scolourfulpaintings.

ThefadedBalzacchairand

stoolwereweddingpresents;

trytheSCPBalzacarmchair

andfootstool,£4,090;theVitra

Eamesloungechair,£5, 460,is a

good match, both Heal’s

10 | 25bhjuly 2019