How we gave a chintz-filled Kent villa an arty makeover

Times

26-07-2025

Quitting the city buzz for a simple life by the sea seems to go one of two ways: deep regret or coastal convert. Ben Cotton, the founder and director of east London gallery Hang-Up, and his partner, Danielle Reddi, a doctor, decided to ease themselves gently into life in Walmer, a peaceful little seaside town next to Deal in Kent. While they were still living in a Victorian terrace in Stoke Newington, north London, they bought a holiday flat down here.
'Walmer is going through an interesting time with lots of creative people moving to the area,' Cotton says. The family — the couple have two sons aged ten and eight — were staying here when Covid struck. 'We had the luxury of sea views, big skies and a sense of space. Back in London, we always went to the same park, but here we had so many different places for our daily walks,' Reddi says. 'When we eventually went back to London, we had a moment of clarity and decided to make a life down in Kent. We moved back into the flat and started house-hunting,' Cotton recalls.
Having befriended a local estate agent, Cotton was able to view this place before it even came onto the market and they snapped it up. 'It's a beautiful house, right by the sea but with a totally private garden. We were very lucky,' Cotton says. The house is a large one — many of its neighbours have been divided into two homes — and is originally Georgian with Victorian additions. But when the couple first viewed it, the era that screamed out at them was the Eighties, with chintz curtains, patterned wallpaper and a kitchen divided between two tiny rooms.
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It was the problem of the kitchen that saw them bring Studio Ulanowski on board. Straddling architecture and interior design, and with bases in both Kent and London, the practice felt like a good fit. Having come up with plans to create a new heart-of-the-home kitchen in the former dining room — think olive green cabinets, richly veined marble counters and Portland stone floors — architect Eryk Ulanowski's role spread to encompass the whole house. 'The brief was to hold on to as much of the original house as possible, but to make it feel more current. We wanted bold colours and playful elements. And it had to work as a family home, even as the boys grow up,' explains Reddi.
The new boot room is perfect for kids trailing in from school or the beach, with nooks for each person's stuff. From there, the boys can move into the den/playroom next door, or take their own staircase — once the servants' back stairs — up to their colourful bedrooms and shared bathroom. 'At the moment, they love hanging out with us, but the house is prepared for when they become more independent,' says Reddi.
As well as their own suite and a guest suite, the couple, who both work in London two days a week, have their own offices upstairs. Cotton often does yoga in the new gym, once the kitchen. Next to the couple's bedroom, another room shares the same balcony and sea view. Having toyed with making it a dressing room, the pair decided, with Ulanowski's guidance, on a far more fun alternative: a cocktail snug. 'In the summer, we use this for relaxing with the kids after dinner, but it's also a late-night hangout with friends,' Reddi says.
Given that Cotton has his own gallery, it's no surprise that the house has been designed around his art collection, such as the Grayson Perry etching hanging over the kitchen hearth and the Kostas Papakostas over the snug's sofa. 'Some pieces are permanent and some will come and go. Hang-Up balances work by big names including Banksy, Andy Warhol, Basquiat, Tracey Emin and Bridget Riley, alongside helping younger artists to gain exposure.' Here at home, Cotton has curated a collection of artists with a local connection such as Studio Lenca (based at Emin's TKE Studios in Margate).
With the art collection in mind, Ulanowski devised a palette of complex, nuanced colours, inspired by the local landscape, which flit between light and dark as you move from room to room. 'We always knew we wanted a change from art gallery white,' Cotton says. The house is also elevated by bespoke joinery throughout — with everything from the kitchen cabinets to the living room display shelves crafted by another former Londoner, Hazel Thomson of Harbour Joinery Workshop in Ramsgate. 'Hazel's designs helped to make the whole house feel cohesive and considered,' Cotton says.
The pair admit that it took them a while to feel settled here but now have'an amazing network of friends, mainly through the kids' school', Cotton says. For both of them, coastal living has been a huge part of the appeal. Reddi loves to soak in the bath or sit in bed with a cup of tea, drinking in the sea views. She sometimes joins Cotton's morning swim group on warmer days, although he swims all year round. 'It's a fantastic way to start the day and even if it's tough getting in, you never regret doing it. Living by the sea has made us feel more healthy and closer to nature.' studioulanowski.com; hanguppictures.com; harbourjoineryworkshop.com