As co-founders of luxury furniture company Maker&Son, Alex Willcock and his eldest son, Felix Conran, use the beautiful historic house they rent in West Sussex as their company’s showroom. Kemps House, as it is known, is a country house in southeast England that dates back to the 1660s. “It was one of those things where you fall in love with the house as soon as you see it,” says Willcock of the six-bedroom home. “I walked in and just knew I wanted to live there. I liked the light and the space.”
His design mission from the beginning was to create a home where his family would enjoy spending time. “Over the past 16 years of living here, the spaces have proven to be extremely flexible, with each room constantly evolving,” he adds, explaining that they used the house as a photo studio for the business. One room in particular that has changed over the years is the kitchen. “When we first moved in, the kitchen wasn’t really a kitchen—it was a second living room and then a small kitchen,” Willcock says of his perfect cooking space. Now the eat-in kitchen is much larger – and even has a long dining table perfect for his large family – including five children.
Inspired by the beauty of the home and Willcock’s personal mission, we took a tour and found three design lessons worth stealing! Come and take a peek!
1. Repurpose old furniture in a surprising way.
Here’s a tip straight from Willcock’s book: Buy an old piece of furniture and repurpose it for a new use. He explains: “Take it out of its original context and try to put things in it where they don’t normally go.”
Take, for example, Willcock’s response to kitchen storage. The large, paneled cabinet (shown above) was built by Willcock himself from vintage shutters and reclaimed kitchen countertops. The cabinets are painted in Breakfast Room Green by Farrow&Ball. “It looks like it’s been there forever, but really in the grand scheme of the house, it’s very new,” he says.
2. Celebrate items that are made by hand.
Just as he handcrafts his own line of furniture from natural and sustainable materials, Willcock says he tends to appreciate items that are handmade because they add so much character to a home. “Choose items that have clearly been made by someone, a craftsman, because you can really feel that in the room – the story that’s being told is kind of reflected,” he says, pointing to a dining table he made himself. “When objects are made with love and care and attention to detail, something changes the way a room feels.”
His most treasured handiwork in the kitchen is a portrait of a boy from the Russian Constructivist period that hangs on the wall of his kitchen cabinet and is surrounded by his collection of ceramics. “It’s very calming to watch,” he says.
3. Don’t be afraid to change things up.
Willcock strives to give his home an atmosphere to live in, so that it is not only beautiful, but also functional. “You see, we’re always doing something new – in a funny way, the combination of an old house and a lot of new things seems to really work,” he says of his home’s modern rustic vibe.
Because Kemps House is also his company’s showroom, Willcock is constantly changing sofas and color palettes. “Nowadays a room can change its entire look from one week to the next as we do different stagings for our different photos,” he says. “Sometimes it’s quite strange,” he explains of moving furniture. “Notebooks and tools I can’t find show up weeks later.” Still, Willcock likes that the home is always evolving as it changes to fit the family’s needs.
Sure, you don’t need to switch things up as often as Willcock, but the appeal is the same. Playing with different vignettes in your home gives you the freedom to be creative and feel inspired. Don’t be afraid to mix and match and find out what really works — and, more importantly, find out what you really like.