Quirky feel of old house is inspiration to Emma

Both my husband and I love old houses, they all have their own atmosphere and a sense of history. I find them very comforting. The thing we love about this house is that it’s so quirky. When we first came to view it, as soon as we stepped over the threshold, we both had huge smiles on our faces. We knew this was home.

The previous owners maintained a lot of the original features, but also added their own touch, which has made the place so quirky. All the doors are reclaimed and the kitchen is hand built, but the original tiles are on the floors in the hallway and The Snug, which was the original kitchen but was made into a sitting area by the previous owners and is our main family room.

The Snug has an old Doric stove in it which keeps the room lovely and toasty in the winter.

What I love about the house are the odd little corners and cupboards which add to its character. There is a fantastic garden out the back, with a large apple tree, and pear and greengage trees and a huge raspberry patch. It’s a lovely place to sit and chill with friends and family when the weather is good. It’s quite idyllic. The previous owners also added a modern extension to the back of the building, which gives the house a meandering feel as you walk through it. It’s a bit like living in the Tardis. If you go up to the top of our house, we have the most amazing view out over the beach and the bay. I never tire of it.

My favourite room has to be my workroom which is where I design and make my jewellery for my business, Atlantic Rose. It’s my space - no one else is allowed in!

It’s nice and quiet so I can work away in relative peace and quiet. I specialise in Viking Knitting and chainmail jewellery but I also do a lot of hammered work (bangles, rings etc) so I can make a lot of noise in there and not really disturb anyone else in the house. It’s my creative sanctuary. The room was originally a small bedroom with a vanity sink. Its quite narrow with wooden panelling on the ceiling and storage cupboards along the top of the wall on one side.

I always think it feels a bit like being in a boat cabin. Natural light from two Velux windows fills the room, so it never feels gloomy. I have my workbench placed right under one of them. The walls are white and have a nice smooth flat finish, almost like an art gallery so I love to display things bits of art on the walls; photos, art by the kids, a few pieces of art I’ve created. It adds a bit of colour to the room.

I also have a huge year planner on the wall so I have a visual reminder everyday of upcoming fairs, deadlines for commissions (especially wedding rings), important holidays around the world - which is crucial information for my Etsy shop. The room is definitely a reflection of me. I love to knit and crochet when I’m not making my jewellery. My guitar and violin are in here too as well as my kids’ crafting materials.

It’s filled with the things that I love to do.