March Newsletter
A weekend in historic Rye, Dot Cottage, celestial decor, vintage stock updates & stationery shops with timeless appeal
A weekend in historic Rye, celestial decor, a Sussex country cottage and stationery shops with timeless appeal. Hello and welcome to Love Vintage Etc.
Kicking off the new season with a burst of colour: vibrant places to visit, sunny interiors inspiration and a fresh stock update. Spring officially starts on 20 March, here in Europe, so get your paintbrushes ready because grey is properly over.
A Weekend Rye
If you’re craving a short break with seaside appeal, good food and great independent shops then clear some space in your holiday diary. This East Sussex coastal town is steeped in history yet feels fresh and charming in equal measure and March is the perfect month for a weekend stay.
After a visit in 1573 Queen Elizabeth I declared the town Royale Rye and judging by its grand, half-timbered, medieval houses and pretty cobbled lanes its easy to see how Rye gained the royal seal of approval.
The historic town, with its harbour views, castle and nearby Camber Sands, has attracted creatives for centuries. Painter Paul Nash lived and worked in Rye and author Henry James wrote The Wings of a Dove and The Ambassadors at Lamb House on West Street, now a National Trust property. James filled his home with books and artworks by his favourite writers and painters such as Flaubert, Whistler and Edward Burne-Jones. The house and the large walled gardens, planted with fruit trees and flowers, are open to the public every day except Wednesdays and Thursdays, from 11am - 5pm. Book here through the National Trust website.
Where to Stay - Dot Cottage
I’ve yet to stay at Dot Cottage (above) but came across the holiday rental after spotting it on various friend’s Instagram feeds. It’s the kind of romantic, vintage filled cottage that you’d never want to leave: the interior sits somewhere between an episode of Miss Marple with Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz choosing the finishing touches. You won’t find pink roses growing round the front door but you will find foxgloves and beautifully considered decoration in the one-bedroomed property.
Owner Catherine Reynolds says of the cottage’s diminutive scale, “I had to go with the age and size of the property: Dot has definitely morphed into who she is meant to be.”
The living room is painted in Bancha, a soothing midcentury green by Farrow & Ball, inspired by Japanese tea leaves. “My friend thought it would be a good backdrop for my tat and he was right. So now I’ve learnt that a grown-up paint palette can be a good thing. Before this I'd have chosen colours like a seven-year-old.”
Catherine sources her vintage items and reclaimed furniture locally from car boot sales and Brewhouse Salvage. “Almost everything in Dot is second hand bar the bedding, towels and the art. I like hanging things by my friends. Old things already have a life of their own and I like that, I like the stories and the layers they bring to a place.”
The bedroom setting couldn’t be more romantic: a dreamy bed covered in chintzy pillows and surrounded by pale blue striped drapes. The playful, retro decor looks fresh and original and is off-set by walls in Blooth Pink, a vivid shade of spring blossom, also by Farrow & Ball. “I don't take interiors too seriously, I just play and see what happens. I'd prefer to just do something and get it wrong than to spend my time pondering, life's too short” adds Catherine. And with that I’m already looking at my calendar for my next trip to Rye.
Where else to stay…
The George at Rye is a tastefully renovated Elizabethan coaching inn with original features, including a Georgian wig room, 16th century fireplace in the tap room and wooden beams from an Elizabethan galley. The interior is gloriously furnished with a treasure trove of antique furniture and paintings and feels sumptuous yet cosy. Many of the rooms are kitted out with roll top copper baths, Florence Broadhurst textiles and bespoke furniture and a handful of rooms are dog friendly.
During our stay at the George we ordered food from the bar menu (there’s also a restaurant) and had a deliciously warming risotto by the fire - perfect after a chilly, late-winter day.
I can also recommend a stay The White House, on Main Street. With just six rooms above a café and their own in-house bakery, the White House is a gorgeously quirky listed building and serves one of the best breakfasts I've had in a long time; with fresh ingredients and bread straight from the bakery.
Choose from suites in the eaves for a view of Rye’s rooftops or rooms with four poster beds and cast iron fireplaces. All rooms are named after bakery treats such crumpet, tart and muffin.
Places to Shop
Down by Rye station you’ll find Soap & Salvation for vintage finds, paintings and homewares and a visit to Mccully & Crane is a must for its superb selection of hand-picked modern art and sculpture.
Merchant & Mills, on Tower Street, is jointly owned by my old school-friend Carolyn and stocks a variety of sustainable fabrics and ethically produced materials. And with Carolyn’s talent for selecting beautiful linens there’s always plenty to choose from as well patterns and sewing tools.
The Merchant & Mills retreat house, a creatively renovated Edwardian townhouse, offers residential sewing and crafting workshops. Book a six night stay, in stylish accommodation at The Grove and discover the world of natural dyeing or learn how to make a patchwork quilt.
Celestial Palette - Decorating Inspiration
This month’s moodboard takes its cue from the medieval sun illumination, above. The image is available to download from the Getty Museum’s manuscript collection. Cheery sunshine graphics, gothic emblems and a palette of burnt Sienna and buttercup yellow lead the way with these homewares. From top left: digital sun print from Etsy, yellow star tile at Alice Palmer, outdoor fabric by Fornasetti. Bottom row: Sunne wallpaper by Stoff Studios, Sun Face serving bowl by KS Creative and Magpie x Hornsea mug.
Fresh Vintage Stock
This week’s vintage stock is inspired by my coastal weekend in Rye and the interior at Dot Cottage. First up is the oil painting of Dungeness Lighthouse, shown top left. The striking composition, with the black and white lighthouse in the centre, flanked with rows of cottages on either side, is surrounded by blowsy summer sky. The oil on artist’s board is dated 1955, signed AEB and measures 40cm tall x 30cm wide.
I’ve been looking for another pair of art deco wall lights - last month’s finds were so popular - and recently found this lovely pair. The Rose metalwork lights measure 28cm x 20cm and would look perfect with candles or re-wired for romantic bedside lights.
The oil on canvas Plate of Peaches dates from around 1920 and measures 45.5cm x 30.5cm. With a warm palette of saffron, caramel and soft peachy hues the painting is perfect for any room in the house.
Medieval tiles and breakfasts with good coffee were plentiful in Rye and although the wooden tile, below left, isn’t medieval the intricately carved detailing and patina make it a great decorative piece. Antique Indian, c.1890, measures 24.5 cm square. The Arts & Crafts silver plate coffee pot, in the style of Christopher Dresser, dates from the 1890s and measures 22cm tall. These and other items are now available on my webshop at Mason & Painter.
Recent Recycled & Vintage Finds
I’ve been coveting Grainne Morton jewellery for some time now and have my eye on a pair of earrings, top left. Check out Grainne’s website for the her eclectic collection of bracelets, necklaces and rings made using recycled materials and vintage finds.
I recently bought the striking striped shopper, below, made from recycled nylon by British brand Monty bags. Choose from a great selection of colourways and size - from dinky, to medium and large zipped tote bags - roomy enough for a weekend away. Nice to know that each bag was once a heap of discarded plastic.
This vintage painting of a horse set against blossom trees and pretty blue sky is available at Relic Interiors and would look lovely on my living room wall! And to keep the early March chill at bay I’m loving my reversible waistcoat in clay red with its fleecy, fifty per cent, recycled polyester lining. From ethical Cornish company Banjaara.
Favourite Stationery Shops
I love stationery shops almost as much as I love the excitement of starting a new box of paints, writing in a new notebook or wrapping a gift with sheet of pretty paper.
Here in London I have three go-to stationery stores for birthday cards and sketchbooks. In Paris I make a point of visiting two favourites and whilst on holiday in Seville I discovered yet another to add to my list.
Here’s Five Favourites…
I stock up on candy coloured Toile de Jouy tissue paper from Choosing Keeping as well as their exclusive Japanese watercolour paints, brushes and paper tapes. French owner Julia has impeccable taste and every January I treat myself to one their hardback books filled with creamy paper: perfect for sketching and note making.
In Paris I head to Antoinette Poisson for soft backed notebooks and Mélodies Graphiques for printed envelopes and cards. Also worth a mention is John Derian in New York: their vintage inspired products and decoupage stationery designs are almost too good to give away. Liberty London carry a good selection of John Derian paperweights and giftware.
Take a step back in time in the Spanish city of Seville at Papeleria Ferrer. Founded in 1856 this irresistible stationary boutique is stocked with keepsake fountain pens, inks and dreamy letter writing sets.
Thanks so much for reading, it’s always great to see you here and your support means a lot to me. If you’ve enjoyed this post please like by clicking on the little ♥️ or restack symbol, as it helps to circulate it to a wider audience. Lots of love,
This was such a lovely read! I'm slightly obsessed with the idea of getting a proper paperweight - I need to look harder next year in Venice (but everything seems like tat or luxury). I feel as though everyone used to have desks groaning with them, and where did they all disappear to?
Thank you, good to hear you enjoyed the newsletter. I love a good paperweight too. It’s worth looking out for vintage ones though, as you say, they seem to be few and far between! Michelle x