The creative update of a 1930s house on the Kent coast resulted in a stunning space where ideas flourish and texture-rich materials are celebrated, from colourful woven fabrics and rugs to smooth timber and reclaimed slate
KITCHEN/DINER
A narrow window set within a wall of reclaimed London bricks reaches up to roof level and is a focal point indoors and out. On an adjoining wall, work by local artist friends is on display, whiletwin pendants from Egypt hang over the dining table. Wall in Roasted Red, Dulux. Wishbone chairs, Hans Wegner. 675 chairs, Robin Day at Case Furniture. Kitchen, Rochlin Bespoke
KITCHEN AND MEZZANINE
The glazed door to the walk-in pantry and the railings on the mezzanine level overlooking the kitchen both add strong graphic lines to the design. Wall in Honey Mustard, Dulux
HOME PROFILE
WHO LIVES HERE Margo Selby, a designer of fabrics and rugs, her husband Peter Auckland, a rug collector and dealer, and their children, Cleo and Fred
THE PROPERTY A four-bedroom contemporary rebuild of a 1930s house near Whitstable, Kent
for textile designer Margo Selby, her family home is a place where ideas come to life – not least because the cushion, fabric and rug designs that she creates in her garden studio get their first trial run inside the house. ‘I find it a really useful way to understand what certain colours are like to live with,’ she explains. ‘As soon as I bring pieces into my home, I understand why some might work better than others. It’s all part of the design process.’
As a result, this is a house that embraces materials and textures, from Margo’s woven designs to structural elements such as rough reclaimed bricks, riven slate and milky-smooth timber. Each room has been meticulously planned with display space for the myriad collections that Margo and her husband, rug collector and dealer Peter Auckland, and their children have amassed over the years. ‘All of us are constantly bringing things into our home, whether that’s artworks, shards of ancient pottery and unique weavings, or fossils that we’ve found on the beach.’
With bespoke shelving, display areas and ample storage, this house accommodates – and actively encourages – the family’s creative urges. As Margo explains: ‘When faced with all our “stuff ”, I used to think, “What are we going to do with it all?” But the design of the house has helped us group everything into recognisable themes.’
The couple were already familiar with the work of locally based Meme Architects and knew its founders, Sonya Flynn and Mark Baker, as their daughters had been at school together. ‘We’d seen their work around Whitstable and loved what they did,’ Margo says. She and Peter had moved to the east Kent co
