Open House: at their restful, light-filled flat, Agatha and Robert Appleton-Sas reflect on leaving London for Bristol
Our Open House series offers a peek inside some of the homes we represent ahead of their sale. We speak to owners about the intimate details that make their house a special place to live and ask them to reflect on what they will miss. Here, we speak to RÅN Studio founders, Agatha and Robert Appleton-Sas, about leaving London for Bristol, the redesign of their Victorian flat and why plywood kitchens just aren’t for them. Check out their home for sale here.
Agatha: “Leaving London for Bristol was a stepping stone for us, towards a life more connected to nature and being out in the countryside. I don’t think we were escaping, because we love London, but we also love woods, meadows and fields, and living here has brought us closer to all that.
“We didn’t know
if we would be ready to move to the countryside proper. Bristol represented a
move to a city that has as much to offer as London does, in terms of good food,
culture and a big creative scene, yet if we want to be in the countryside we
get in the car and we are there within 20 minutes. It’s not too much of a shock
either way.”
Robert: “We were in Brockley, south east
London, in a very different kind of place that we didn’t remodel in any way. We
were looking for something that we could create as our own space. We wanted it
to be filled with light and be an open space, which we knew would take a lot of
work to achieve.
“When we came
to see this flat, the first thing that we fell in love with was the street
itself – we were struck by how peaceful it is. It’s very quiet street and tree-lined,
and all the buildings are Victorian. Nothing is jarring or out of context,
which I think creates a beautiful kind of safety in a way, that feels
aesthetically soothing.
“The interior
hadn’t been touched since the 1980s, so it was a bit of a time capsule. But we
could see its potential: how big it was, that there was a garden, how tall the
ceilings were, and how we could get light to flood in from all sides. Our
redesign was about playing to the sense of calmness we felt was here, of
creating a little oasis.
“A large part
of that was the garden, which we tried to establish a connection to as much as
possible from the house. We have doors from the kitchen that open up to
beautiful ferns and then there are bigger doors in the bedroom, which, when opened,
bring in the smell of lavender, rosemary and honeysuckle.
“In the summer,
the scent travelling in is beautiful. And then there is also the little side
window, with planted bamboo in front. It moves a little bit in the wind and
whispers at night. It’s quite sensual – we love opening the doors to have
fresh air and sunlight on our skin.”
Agatha: “Inside, we kept some original
Victorian features, like the fireplace, a sash window in the bedroom, which is
beautiful and large, the wooden floorboards, which we renovated, and a
beautiful ceiling rose in the kitchen.
“We have
changed everything else and opened up the space wherever we could. The only
place that stayed where it was is the living room. It was a massive remodelling
that we did with our perfect architect, Paul Cannon.
“The kitchen was an important space to get right for us. It seemed like everyone was doing plywood cabinets and we appreciated that they looked cool and minimal, which is not what we’re about.
“The whole
space is full of things that have a lot of meaning for us. Everything we own
either comes directly from our family homes, has a story or is somewhat
connected to a friend, a place or a memory that is important to us.
“So, when we
were thinking about the kitchen, we wanted to create something that would feel
personal to us – something that would remind us of our childhood homes
maybe, which meant heavier furniture for both of us.
“We went to
auctions in Somerset looking for pieces that perhaps were in a farmhouse one
day. So, the island is an 18th-century oak dresser and you can see it has
history, how heavy it is, and the craftmanship that went into it. We can admire
it is as an object in its own right, rather than it just being functional or
being part of part of the architecture.”
Robert: “A new kitchen is not necessarily
sustainable, and it’s amazing that if someone doesn’t like ours, they don’t
need to put it in the skip. They can perhaps put it somewhere else or sell it, live
with it or pass it on. So, I think the longevity of things in our home is
important as well.
“So, if we
decided to change to kitchen we could take out the dresser and it could be used
in our bedroom, be something in the office or it could be some other piece of
furniture that we store things in. We like to think about how long pieces will
last, or if we could reuse them.”
Agatha: “We have an office for our creative
content and production studio, RÅN, in Montpellier, which is just across the
park from us. It’s a pretty sweet set up, however we love this flat so much –
the light, how peaceful and soothing it is – that we do spend a lot of time
here.
“We explore,
obviously, and see our friends as well, but we would prefer to invite people in
than go out. Our house is sort of like an open house for our friends to have coffee
or tea, and it seems like we have people knocking on the door constantly.
“We can have
bigger gatherings as well. Because it’s an open plan, we can put a few more
tables in the middle of the space, going from the bay window to the kitchen
island and have big feasts. That was a big part of the design as well, because
we wanted the kitchen to be the beating heart, the life –it’s about food,
sharing, celebration, people and coming together.”
Robert: “Leaving London for Bristol, we didn’t know how easy it would be to find a community. We found that people are extremely friendly here and very open.
“There are amazing
pubs in Bristol too, and a really lovely food scene. Also, Bath is ten minutes
away on the train if we want a different kind of city experience, something
smaller and more traditional, so it’s like you get two in one here.
“Then, on the first Sunday of every month we go to Frome for the farmers’ market, and we’re regular visitors to Hauser & Wirth in Bruton.”
Agatha: “I do feel that our lives have been
enriched living here, because our network has opened up and spread to a wider
community. In London, I felt like we only had friends there, and then friends
overseas. Here, we have friends in Bath, Bruton, Frome, all over the place, so
it’s a lovely feeling to belong to a kind of West Country community.
“So, we think
we’re ready to go to the countryside now. It’s been a smooth and gentle
transition to a more rural life, and a very beautiful journey.”
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