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As co-founders of luxurious furnishings enterprise Maker&Son, Alex Willcock and his eldest son, Felix Conran, use the gorgeous historic residence they lease in West Sussex as their firm’s showroom. Kemps Home, because it’s recognized, is a Grade II-listed, countryside home in South East England courting again to the 1660s. “It was a type of issues the place you immediately fall in love with the home the second you see it,” says Willcock of the six-bedroom residence. “I walked in and simply knew I wished to stay there. I beloved the sunshine and the areas.”
His design mission from the beginning was to create a house his household would get pleasure from spending time in. “Over the previous 16 years of dwelling right here, the areas have proved extraordinarily versatile, and every room is continually evolving,” he provides, explaining that they’ve used the house as a photograph studio for the enterprise. One room particularly that has modified over time is the kitchen. “Once we first moved in, the kitchen was not likely a kitchen — it was a second front room after which a small scullery kitchen,” Willcock says of his picture-perfect cooking house. Now, the eat-in kitchen is far bigger — and even holds an extended eating desk excellent for his huge household — together with 5 kids.
Impressed by the house’s magnificence and Willcock’s private mission, we took the tour, and located three design classes value stealing! Come alongside, and let’s take a peek!
1. Repurpose previous furnishings in a stunning means.
Right here’s a tip straight out of Willcock’s playbook: Purchase an previous piece of furnishings and repurpose it for use in a brand new means. He explains, “Take it out of its unique context and take a look at placing issues within it the place they might not normally go.”
Take, as an illustration, Willcock’s reply to kitchen storage. The massive, paneled cupboard (proven above) was made by Willcock himself from vintage shutters and a reclaimed kitchen countertop. The cabinets are painted in Breakfast Room Inexperienced by Farrow&Ball. “It appears to be like prefer it has been there without end, however actually within the grand scheme of the home, it is rather new,” he says.
2. Rejoice objects which were made by hand.
Simply as he handcrafts his personal furnishings line with pure and sustainable supplies, Willcock says he tends to understand objects which might be handmade as a result of it provides a lot character to the house. “Select objects which have clearly been made by somebody, a craftsperson, as a result of you possibly can actually really feel that in a room — the story it tells is mirrored indirectly,” he says, pointing to the eating desk he made himself. “When objects are made with love and care and a spotlight to element, one thing modifications the way in which the room feels.”
His most prized handcrafted possession in his kitchen is a portrait of a younger boy from the Russian Constructivism interval hanging on the wall of his kitchen cupboard and surrounded by his assortment of ceramics. “It’s very calming to take a look at,” he says.
3. Don’t be afraid to vary issues up.
Willcock strives to offer his residence a lived-in really feel, in order that it’s not solely stunning, but in addition useful. “You see, we’re at all times doing one thing new — in a humorous means, the juxtaposition of an previous home and plenty of newness appears to essentially work,” he says of his residence’s fashionable rustic vibe.
As a result of Kemps Home can be his firm’s showroom, Willcock is continually changing sofas and coloration palettes on the common. “These days, a room can change its total look from one week to the subsequent as we do completely different staging for our numerous photoshoots,” he says. “Generally it’s fairly odd,” he explains of the shuffle of furnishings. “Notebooks and instruments that I can’t discover flip up just a few weeks later.” Nonetheless, Willcock loves that the house is at all times evolving because it modifications to go well with the household’s wants.
In fact, you don’t have to vary issues up as usually as Willcock does, however the attraction is identical. Enjoying with completely different vignettes in your house permits you to have the liberty to be inventive and to really feel impressed. Don’t be afraid to combine and match and work out what actually works — and, extra importantly, uncover what you actually like.
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