A career spent sourcing and reselling vintage textiles has turned Sarah Davenport’s Lincolnshire home into a living stage for an ever-evolving cast of tapestries and kilim rugs. Each new arrival is put on display and photographed for her online home furnishings shop, That Rebel House. Inevitably, the most irresistible ones stay put.
This constant reshaping of her surroundings has laid the groundwork for some confident experimentation, sharpening Sarah’s instincts for novel colour combinations and surprising pattern mixing.
Nowhere is this attitude more evident than in her kitchen. A trio of greens (Edward Bulmer’s Drab Green, Light Olive Green and Olympian Green) sit alongside antique cabinetry, knocked-back brass features and a disco ball chandelier. One of her favourite Persian kilims has found its way in here too. ‘This room hasn’t been heavily designed or overly curated,’ Sarah points out. ‘There are scrapes, scratches and stains, but that’s just the patina of a life well lived.’
The before
‘We originally painted the room all white when we renovated the property 10 years ago – decision fatigue had well and truly set in.’
The after
‘We feel completely relaxed in our kitchen and move through it without thinking, which, to me, is the sign of an authentic space.’
The plan
Sarah had long understood what didn’t work in her original scheme. ‘The white kitchen cupboards always held the space back from feeling truly warm and grounded,’ she says. But committing to her new colour combinations took some persuasion – and she needed to convince herself more than anyone else.
‘I knew from the start that I wanted a particular tone of green, but I wasted time and energy worrying that it might be too dark. Of course, I eventually came back to my original idea and it turned out beautifully. I learned that if you sit in paralysis worrying about making the wrong decision, you’ll never arrive at an authentic space.’
The process
Once the paint colours had been chosen, the transformation fell into place. ‘We decided to have the cupboard fronts professionally sprayed. To save money, we removed and delivered them to the sprayers ourselves, then collected and rehung the fronts afterwards,’ Sarah says.
A pair of sash windows, already there when Sarah first moved in, were turned into a glass cabinet and painted in Edward Bulmer’s Brick. ‘Edward Bulmer paint is always a source of inspiration,' adds Sarah. 'Being able to use several shades in one space, and be confident that they’ll work harmoniously thanks to their natural pigments, is such a joy.’
Vintage items include the island and apothecary cabinet and a 1950s Italian chandelier. A Persian kilim rug completes the look: ‘It’s one of the best things you can add to a kitchen for instant warmth, character and individuality.'
Get the look: the colour-drenched kitchen
Biggest challenge
‘Deciding whether to zone the kitchen and diner with paint colour. Thankfully, we followed interior designer Sam Grigg’s recommendation to commit to one colour.’
Best bargain
‘The glazed wall cabinet. My carpenter built a simple frame around a pair of sash windows from the original house, which we painted in Brick by Edward Bulmer.’
Biggest splurge
‘The marble worktops from our previous design. You can’t beat the beauty of natural stone and they’re easy to keep looking clean.’
Sourcebook
- Paint: Edward Bulmer
- Kitchen island (vintage): Try Pamono
- Apothecary cabinet (vintage): Try Vinterior
- Chandelier: Rock the Heirloom
- Rug: That Rebel House
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