House Style with Brigitte D'Angelo
After showing us around her 1960s John Penn-designed house in Suffolk, Brigitte D’Angelo shares her house style.
You’re happiest at home when…
Music is playing, the kids are home and their friends are over, the doors are open and the sun is shining.
How would you describe the interiors of your house?
Bright, colourful and comfortable….
Apart from designing a new family bathroom when we moved here, everything else has evolved. I love that the pieces that surround us have stories, of places we have visited or presents we have bought each other, or from friends.
If you could only save one thing, what would it be?
The landscape collage that hangs above the wood burner in winter and moves around the house in summer. It is from the year I was born, as is the house, and was one of the first presents Simon ever bought me.
What was the last thing you bought for the house?
The brass lamp with a bright yellow shade in our bedroom. Simon recently bought it for my birthday from our great friends at In da Cottage.
Top three coffee table books?
Poolside by Slim Aarons; The River Café Cookbook and Roy Lichtenstein by Diane Waldman
If money was no object, what changes would you make?
I would change the glass roof on the courtyard, at present it is Georgian wire glass, not original. I would change it to self-cleaning clear glazing with bigger openings and perhaps change the shape of it to a box. We would need to research what we thought John Penn would have done. And a self-contained garden room to paint in.
You’re having people over for dinner, what do you cook?
Ahh, lucky for me Simon loves to cook! He buys from a local fishmonger, Maximus at Snape, and will be lead by what Chris, the fishmonger, recommends is good. Here you can buy sushi-grade tuna, crab, lobster and squid as well as locally caught fish. Simon would most likely cook a whole fish, like sea bream, with potatoes… nice and simple with veg and salad from the garden.
What does a Sunday here look like?
In summer I like to go to the car boot around 9am, where I buy plants for the garden and courtyard, old plant pots, vintage vases, pieces of glass and anything that catches my eye. I bought all the African fabrics there for the cushion covers.
After brunch at home, we might go for a walk on Sizewell beach or pack a picnic of mackerel and potato salad and drive further up the coast to a favourite sandy beach and spend the day. We go to the beach all year round.
What are the best things about the neighbourhood?
Being close to the coast is a major plus. I love the birds in the garden, although I still don’t know what most of them are! We see owls regularly – I had never seen one in the wild until we moved here. They fly across our garden, incredible creatures! And recently we had a pair of ducks paddling in our little pool.
And great friends. This area is full of creative people – it’s a little bit far to commute every day to London so most people make their own system. People here are relaxed, helpful and friendly and we found a great sense of community from the start.
How long will you be here for?
I can’t imagine leaving the house and my life here, but I do still fantasize that I will one day own a house in somewhere like Palm Springs. It would have to be big enough for the family and all the friends I couldn’t bear to leave, so perhaps I will just have to stay here!
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