Having reached (and now surpassed) the milestone of 50, I’ve felt an ever-growing pull toward the countryside—a deepening urge to be outside, immersed in nature.
A country girl at heart, originally from Suffolk, I never imagined I’d end up studying at a London university, let alone spending two decades there building a career in corporate interiors. But that’s exactly what happened.
The move to Tunbridge Wells in 2009 marked a major shift. I stepped away from the fast-paced world of corporate design and managing a team of interior designers to launch my own consultancy, focusing solely on high-end residential interiors.
Years passed, and the renovation of our Tunbridge Wells 1970’s home ‘Timbertops’ became a fulfilling and successful chapter. We loved our home – a peaceful cul-de-sac setting within walking distance to the historic Pantiles alongside fab neighbours.
It was our retreat from the daily work stress, a sanctuary for recovery during acute and chronic illness, IVF failures, a safe space for our adopted daughter, a practical home for breeding and raising puppies, a creative hub for my business; countless dinner parties and family gatherings, memorable Christmases. It was more than just a house; a home; it was our life and for many years we couldn’t ever imagine leaving it. Our plan was to stay at least until our daughter finished secondary school.
Until six months ago.
With an increasing longing for the quiet – trees, birdsong, less traffic, less 5G, fewer people – I found myself (as many of us do) casually scrolling Rightmove. That was all it took. To fall in love with a house and area; to sell, buy and move within the space of 4 months is a pretty unusual one, but here we are.
We now live in the heart of the Ashdown Forest, renovating a 1960s property: my dream project in my dream location.
I’ll be sharing the highs and lows of doing what I normally do for clients—only this time, it’s for myself. I’ll keep you updated with my research, discoveries, missteps, and triumphs over the next three months of renovation.
Stay tuned!
