HOME INSPIR ATION
Inspired by Buddhist traditions, ceramicist Georgina Lorton has curated a peaceful family home in which a few statement pieces shine out against a calming, muted palette
When Georgina Lorton and Will Davis bought this Victorian cottage in the Essex town of Wivenhoe 11 years ago, it was little more than a rundown shack with a warren of tiny rooms. Georgina, however, felt an affinity with it as soon as she walked through the door. “It was filled with light and felt such a creative, artistic space,” she recalls. They subsequently found out that it was once owned by the Semprini family, and that the famous pianist Alberto Semprini frequently stayed here: “Alberto’s son lived here and ran a little shop called Talisman Crafts in what is now our lounge. It’s remembered fondly by villagers who used to spend their pocket money here.”
Georgina and Will immediately set about knocking through the kitchen and dining room to create one larger living space. They also moved the kitchen door to make room for a “little utility corner” and added new windows to bring in even more light. All their budget was spent on the bones of the house, which needed rewiring and plumbing as well as a new roof. This meant Georgie had to be creative with the furnishings. “I used to spend every Saturday morning at a local auction house,” she recalls. “Now, lots of dealers and designers know about it but back then, it was just me and a lot of old men rifling through piles of things to find hidden gems.”
Throughout the house, secondhand finds have been given a new lease of life with a lick of paint, and family hand-me-downs heighten the connection with the past. Upstairs, original floorboards were exposed. In the bathroom, the boards were painted and a large free-standing bath placed in the middle of the room. “It creates much more drama having it in the centre rather than against a wall,” Georgie says. “It also allows me to lie back and soak while watching the clouds.”
