HOMES

128 | 25bh oCtober 2017###### We both grew up in thecountryside – me inKent and my husbandIain in Surrey, so wewanted our children to have a similarrural upbringing,’ says Amelia Heggie,owner of interior design company DenimInteriors. ‘We felt we needed space forthe children to roam and be free. We alsowanted a lifestyle change.’At the time, she and Iain were livingin London. ‘We worked on a pop-up pubat Goodwood and fell in love with the area,’says Amelia. ‘By coincidence, my granny and``````my aunt came from nearby. As we wantedto be within easy reach of London and besurrounded by pretty countryside, WestSussex ticked all the boxes.’ The hunt wasthen on for a suitable property. ‘We werelooking for village life with a community sodidn’t want to be in a really rural location.’A chocolate box cottage came up forsale that seemed perfect. ‘It was luck andtiming,’ says Amelia. ‘We hadn’t sold ourhouse in London and this was the firsthouse we looked at. I drove like a maniacto view it before it went on the market andloved it. I saw it on a perfect sunny day when``````the owner was making marmalade, so itseemed idyllic.’ It was instant. Amelia putin an offer within seconds of leaving thehouse, before Iain had even seen it.The cottage was relatively compact andhad a small garden, so it wasn’t the mostobvious choice for a family with threechildren, but that didn’t deter Amelia. Thecottage also appealed as it was in a good stateof repair. ‘I knew I wouldn’t have to spendcrazy money and it wasn’t going to be amassive job putting our stamp on it,’ she says.As the interior was dark, Ameliapainted throughout in an off-white shade``````pAnTRyCountry-style fabric has beenused as a blind and to hideunder-the-sink shelves.Fabric, rabbit and Cabbage linen,£95 per m, thornback & Peel``````KITCHEnPatchwork floor tiles adda modern touch to the classiccabinets. The Aga is builtinto an alcove and teamsbeautifully with the floor.Stamford tiles, £54sq m, toppstiles. Door painted in oval roomblue estate eggshell, £60 per2.5 litres, Farrow & ball. theretro lemonade bottle crate,£26, Dibor, is comparable``````DInInG AREAVintage chairs, aflamboyant lampshadeand a patternedfloor create a trulyindividual look.bauhaus stackable chair,£59, Cult Furniture.Vintage light, £440,rothschild & bickersinspiration‘When creatingthis home, Ianand I have beenruled by ourhearts, not ourheads – thishouse reflectsour life story,memories andthe future’