WEST SUSSEX FARMHOUSE
The joyful restoration of a West Sussex Farmhouse for interior designer, Harriet Anstruther
Shaped over centuries through incremental change, our approach sought to preserve this layered character while repairing the building fabric and improving the relationship between house and landscape.
Years of unsympathetic alteration and neglect had obscured much of the original architecture and contributed to significant damp and drainage issues. Working closely with Harriet, we carefully stripped back later interventions, revealing original materials and historic detailing beneath. Extensive repair works included improved drainage, breathable construction methods and the reinstatement of traditional materials throughout.
The design balances restoration with subtle interventions that support contemporary family life while remaining rooted in the character of the original farmhouse.
Internally, the house was reconfigured to improve flow, light and connection between spaces while retaining the intimacy and irregularity typical of old Sussex farmhouses. Existing beams, stair details and historic fabric were preserved wherever possible, while new interventions were deliberately quiet and tactile.
The surrounding landscape formed an integral part of the project, with reclaimed materials reused to create terraces, walls and garden structures that feel embedded within the site and its agricultural history.
The result is a farmhouse that feels both deeply rooted and quietly renewed. Through careful restoration and measured intervention, the farmhouse has been returned to a condition that feels coherent, enduring and closely connected to its setting.
