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A spirited 18th-century cottage in the seaside town of Deal
“My previous house had broken me emotionally and financially,” says Russell Loughlan, the interior designer and colour-expert behind the popular Instagram account @thehouseondolphinst. “It was built in 1768 and we were making good progress with the renovation when the builders found live woodworm in the rafters. We ended up having to replace every single floor and ceiling. Our budget was blown and a project that was supposed to take four months took over a year to complete. I swore off Georgian houses after that.”
Once the works were complete, Russell lived in the house for a while but soon found he was itching to move. “Once it was finished I realised I wasn’t making the most of the space. I was living alone in a four storey sort of dolls’ house.” It was time for a new project and a new home.
“I stepped a few streets back from the seafront and found this whitewashed box with plastic windows built in 1840. It was the perfect blank canvas–and importantly not Georgian.” The fireplaces had been boarded up and the original floorboards were highly polished in an orange 1980s varnish. For Russell, it was a Goldilocks project. The cottage was sturdy, but needed coaxing back to life. He made an offer almost immediately.
Having spent two decades living and renovating in Deal, Russell knew the person he was buying the house from and, because their aunt had owned the house before them, they were still in possession of all of the original paperwork. “When they came over to give me the deeds, certificates and plans, that’s when I saw it. The house had actually been built in 1706. The cottage was Georgian.” Russell spent four sleepless months, terrified of what he might uncover in the renovation: would the house have more live woodworm? Would it have more wobbly floors? Thankfully the house was solid and Russell could breathe again.
“The previous tenant had smashed through the house, leaving an open plan footprint and plenty of light which really opened things up for me design-wise,” Russell explains. In his previous house, he “embraced its Dickensian pub feeling,” leaning into the gloom with rich, moody hues. “Now,” he says, “I’m in this big, bright space that can handle bold colours without burning a hole in your retina.”
Russell’s approach to colour is a refreshing one and he has made a name for himself thanks to his flair for unexpected combinations. Much of the house is rendered in Farrow and Ball’s Dead Flat paint, which Russell favours for its ability to hold tone. “The light on the coast is very variable and it changes throughout the day. Depth of colour is very important to me and the dead flat finish absorbs light so you always get a true colour.”
Russell practices a ‘start with the art’ philosophy when it comes to building room schemes and choosing colours, though he is open to the idea that anything beautiful can be art. In the sitting room, a pair of Japanese screens, mounted and framed, became the starting point for the yellow, red and black palette. “My parents had an antique stall so I was exposed to collecting from a young age. I got those screens for about thirty quid and I have carried them around from house to house for about thirty years.” He has a sharp eye for gems (the stained glass window in the kitchen was a Facebook Marketplace find) and divulges that nearly everything he owns is vintage. “I think the only new things in the house are the sofa and the mattresses.” Russell also describes himself as having a “chair fetish” and has filled the basement of the house with his wares. “The photographs make things look very tidy, but normally you can hardly get through the front door without falling over things.”
What’s next for the serial-renovator who has lived in some six properties in the seaside town? “I have the itch already,” he admits wryly. “I’ve really bounced around this town.” Well, Russell may move on from his current dwelling, but one thing is for certain: he won’t be moving on from Deal.
Boz Gagovski1/17Russell's love of Porto was the inspiration behind the tiled hearth. “I wanted to recreate a little bit of Porto, but it had to be done via Mexico," he jokes; a nod to the fact that he procured the tiles from Milagros on Columbia Road. The antique brass tray is also from Will & Yates.
Boz Gagovski2/17Russell's vintage ceramic collection is made up of a mix of items from antique markets in Faversham and Deal, as well as Will & Yates and Barrow Antiques.
Boz Gagovski3/17The box framed Japanese screens are antique and the black gloss plinth were sourced from a closing down prop warehouse.
Boz Gagovski4/17In the kitchen, the units have been painted in ‘Green Smoke’ and ‘Vert De Terre’. The countertops are in a green and gold marble from Paragon Stone.
Boz Gagovski6/17The stained glass privacy window is from Facebook Marketplace. The diamond patterned tiling is from Mosaic Factory.
Boz Gagovski7/17In the hallway, Russell has painted the architrave in Farrow & Ball's ‘Serge’, the green doors are ‘Raw Tomatillo’. The embroidered artworks are from local Ramsgate artist Cutts & Sons.
Boz Gagovski8/17In the primary bedroom, the walls are painted in ‘Oval Room Blue’, with tonal woodwork (shutters, panelling, skirting and architrave) in ‘Sloe Blue’. The green door is ‘Raw Tomatillo’. The painting is by Arthur Neal.
Boz Gagovski9/17The Swedish painting above the fireplace was picked up by Russell in a local jumble sale and the wall plates are by artist James Cobourn.
Boz Gagovski10/17Russell has painted the bobbin bed in a third blue, Farrow & Ball's ‘Hague Blue’. On the bed, the Japanese throw was found in a local shop and the bed linen is Piglet in Bed. The rug is Toast and the Swedish painting was picked up from TAT London.
Boz Gagovski11/17
Boz Gagovski12/17The walls upstairs are also painted in ‘Cane’ with the door frame in ‘Eating Room Red’. The paper patchwork art is by Russell himself and the quilted art pieces are also by local Ramsgate artist Cutts
& Sons.
Boz Gagovski13/17In the guest bedroom, Russell has painstakingly painted stripes in Farrow & Ball's ‘Setting Plaster’ and ‘Templeton Pink’. The tonal woodwork is in ‘Eating Room Red’. The artwork is by Frankie Thorpe and the lampshade is, in fact, a Japanese umbrella from Ebay.
Boz Gagovski14/17The four poster bed is from Habitat, though Russell got it second hand. The bed linen and cushions are from Heal's, and the checked window blind is from Beata Heuman's fabric collection.
Boz Gagovski15/17Russell's bathroom is also inspired by his love of Porto and is decorated with more tiles from Milagros. The blue woodwork is painted in ‘Serge’ and the walls and ceiling are in ‘Pale Hound’.
The wall lights are from Pooky and the mirrors were converted from picture frames found on Ebay.
Boz Gagovski16/17The checkerboard floor was also hand painted by Russell using ‘Radiccio’; the cupboard is painted in ‘Sudbury Yellow’. The striped towel is from Piglet in Bed.
Boz Gagovski17/17In the basement, Russell's partner has painted a mural using various Farrow & Ball tester pots on top of ‘Setting Plaster’.
