2019-06-01 Country Homes & Interiors

EAST SUSSEX BARN

H

avinga separatehometospendthesummerin

usuallyinvolvesa holidayletorowninga second

propertyabroad.ForsallyBourne,it means

travellingjusta fewstepsacrosshergardentothe

greenoakbarnadjacenttohermainhome.‘I movedtoeast

sussexfromLondonin2009,buyinganArts& Crafts-style

thirtieshousewiththisoldbarnontheone-acresite,’she says

(wefeaturedthishouseinournovember 2018 issue).

By2012,shehadalreadybeguntothinkaboutconvertingthe

barnintoa workspace.‘Ithadn’tpreviouslybeena dwelling–

I thinkit wasusedasstablesortostorehay,’sheexplains.‘the

supportingframeworkhaddeterioratedandtheonlyoptionwas

torebuildit.I commissioneda newframe,prettymuchreplacing

likewithlike.It wasaneco-build;alltheinsulationis woodpulp

andwallsarelimerenderedinsideandoakcladoutside. I was

determinedtousenatural,sustainablematerials.’

therebuildingtook 18 monthsandoncewideoakboards

werelaidontheflooranda deepverandaaddedalongtheside,

sallybegantoconsiderhowbesttoarrangethespacetosuither

workinglife.Atthatmoment,shedecidedagainstdividingthe

barnintodifferentrooms,insteadkeepingit asanopen-plan

space.shecalledina localjoinertobuildoakcabinetsfora

kitchenatoneendandsetuphersewingstationattheopposite

sideoftheroom.It suitedthepatternofherworkingdayvery

well.Asshebegantospendmoretimeinthebarnthan in the

mainhouse,sheevenbroughtina tableandsofas.

Duringthatfirstsummerspentworkinginthebarn,it began

tofeelmorelikea homethana workshop,andsallyrealised

it couldpossiblyfunctionasboth.shehadtheoutbuilding

attachedtothebarnconvertedtoprovidetwobedroomsand

a bathroom,andsuddenly,shehada secondplacetocallhome.

‘theopen-planarrangementinthebarnmademerealisehow

muchI loveundividedspaces,’shesays.‘theyinspirea

wonderfulsenseoffreedom.I cooka lotandfriendscome

round– thereasonI addedbarstoolsatthekitchenislandis so

theycantalktomewhileI cook.one-roomlivingis sociableand

thespaceandheightofthebarnwithitsmezzaninelevelabove

meansit neverfeelscrowded.’thebarnis particularlysuited

tothewarmermonths,sosallydecidedtolethermainhouse

outtoholidaymakersandguestsallthroughthesummerand

thencomebacktoit inwinter,whenitssmallerrooms provide

acosycontrasttothebarn’sloftyproportions.

Wellbeforethebarnwascompleted,sallyhadbeguncreating

itsgarden.‘I lovebeingabletogrowwhatI eat– kale,leeks,

spinachandsaladsaremystaples.I plannedthegardenasa

containedroomaroundthebarn,enclosedandprivate,anoasis

whereI cansitundisturbed.I enjoywildelementsmeetingformal

designina garden.Whenthegrassesareblowinginthebreeze,

revealingwildflowersinbetween,that’stheconnectionwith

nature that I love. It’s like being on holiday every day.’

At home with...

OwnerSallyBourneis a trained

potteranddesignstextilesfor

herinteriorsshopinLondon,

SallyBourneInteriors.Her

children,Elliott,25,and

Tilly,21,arestudents.

HouseAtwo-bedroom

Sussex barn, rebuilt in 2012.

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