An 18th-century home filled with colour and pattern by its current artist owners
An 18th-century home filled with colour and pattern by its current artist owners
This extraordinary Grade II*-listed seven-bedroom home lies in Barming, a peaceful village close to Maidstone, Kent. Built in the mid-18th century, its striking red brick façade has a stone balustrade, and elegant stone detailing. Extending over 7,500 sq ft, a series of versatile rooms are awash with colour, and the house is surrounded by 1.5 acres of gardens; the west-facing side home to a swimming pool. Nearby West Malling rail station runs regular services to both London Victoria and Charing Cross in under an hour.
Setting the Scene
Barming Place was originally built in 1768. Extremely elegant, the house has a handsome Kentish ragstone rear façade with brick detailing, and a red brick front façade, each regularly punctuated by large sash windows. An expansive music room – now used as the main living space – was added in 1820, its grand Georgian proportions emphasised by tall sash windows, and French doors, with an original fireplace with marble surround. Later additions were made in the 1920s, and in World War II the house was requisitioned as an officers’ garrison. A hand-painted mural in the sitting room is thought to date from this period in the house’s long history and depicts a Kentish harvest scene.
The building was used as a school in the 1970s, before it returned to a private dwelling. Its current artist owners have lovingly restored it over several years, with a vibrant symphony of colour, pattern and texture, and it has been featured on the cover of House and Garden magazine in November 2024.
The Grand Tour
A grand doorcase frames a glass-panelled front door with a semi-circular fanlight, its intricate motif repeated in a lunette window on the second floor. Inside, an entrance hall with Edwardian geometric tiling in warm, earthy tones leads to a voluminous double reception room, its soaring ceilings traced by neat cornicing. Once a music room, the space is bathed in natural light. A cast-iron fireplace with marble surround occupies a central position, while walls have been finished with a custom blend of paint and limewash. The room overlooks the pool, with great connection to the outdoors in the summer months once the French doors are flung open.
In the kitchen, rustic flooring from the Handmade Terracotta Tile Company runs underfoot, while walls are painted in 'Ballet Shoe' by Earthborn. Vintage cabinetry has travertine worktops, and there is a Falcon professional range cooker. A large dining room painted in Edward Bulmer’s 'Verdigris' , a reflection of the greenery of the garden framed by its windows, is perfect for entertaining.
A second sitting room is painted in a custom pink shade by Paint & Paper Library. Above the fireplace, the hand-painted mural of a harvest scene has been preserved above the fireplace.
The ground floor plan is completed by a series of versatile rooms in the south wing, currently configured as various art studios, and a writing room. In one of these rooms the original Georgian copper laundry boiler can be found.
Four bright double bedrooms are found on the first floor, each with an original fireplace. The principal bedroom has bubblegum pink walls and a red carpet, designed to bounce warm tones around the room. It also has all of the Georgian hallmarks, including elaborate cornicing, shuttered windows and a particularly ornately carved wooden fireplace surround. There is a dressing room next door, with a door which opens onto a flat roof terrace with views over the Kent weald. On the other side of the hallway sits the principal bathroom; a lovely generous space with a deep freestanding bath, panelling and black-painted floorboards.
The hallway that connects the bedrooms has been painted in Pimlico Green by Sybil Colefax and John Fowler, and is lined with bookshelves that create two reading nooks.
Three further bedrooms occupy the second floor, each with their own distinct and creative colour scheme, including one where floral wallpaper lines the walls and ceiling. There is also a nanny kitchen and a guest bathroom on this floor.
The Great Outdoors
The house is surrounded by 1.5 acres of verdant gardens, and is home to an array of mature trees including Scots pine, ginkgo, gum, and cherry – the later dating back to the house’s earliest incarnations. There are various useful outbuildings which provide ample storage or workshop space, including a greenhouse next to a section of the garden laid out as vegetable patches.
A heated swimming pool dates from the 1970s, with a stone surround and a terracotta terrace, and is perfect for a refreshing dip in the summer, as well as makes a wonderful cold plunge pool in the winter after a stint in the garden sauna.
Out and About
Barming is a peaceful village to the west of Maidstone. It has several useful amenities, including two pubs, a primary school, a post office and a convenience store. The OFSTED rated 'Outstanding' independent primary school St Helen's East Farleigh is a 7 minute drive away, a rare gem in that it is a Montessori school that goes all the way up to age eleven.
The current owners usually use the train connections from nearby West Malling into London. It is an extremely picturesque market town with 10th-century origins. In the following centuries, buildings sprung up along the high street, characterised by its array of Norman, Tudor and Georgian architecture, including the Prior’s House, St Mary the Virgin church and several historic pubs. The Mill Yard Craft Centre houses a range of creative outlets, Coco & Bloom is the go-to for flowers, and Hardy’s Wine Merchant is an excellent independent for the best bottle. There are plenty of restaurants in the town and the surrounding area too. Local favourites include St Leonards, The Farm House with its Elizabethan origins and The Swan, a Michelin-listed brasserie. The Hungry Guest is also a lovely place for lunch and to pick up provisions.
The larger town of Maidstone is around 12 minutes away by car. It is home to a beloved theatre, the Hazlitt, the inspired Maidstone Museum, and Mote Park, with its leisure centre and outdoor facilities including sports fields and a climbing wall.
The local area offers many dining opportunities; rustic café-bistro Frédéric Bistro serves a fresh, seasonal menu and has a long wine list, while Fish on the Green in Bearsted is a favourite for delectable oysters, lobster and more.
There are ample opportunities for exploring in nature; the Weald of Kent, the River Medway and the Oaken Woods are all within easy reach. A number of historic sites are found nearby. The world-class gardens at Sissinghurst can be reached in around 35 minutes, while even closer to home lies Stoneacre, a National Trust-managed medieval yeoman’s house and garden.
The coast is a short drive away; Whitstable can be reached in around 45 minutes and is known for its seemingly endless beaches and annual oyster festival. Excellent road connections mean that the likes of Hastings, Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate can all be reached in just over an hour.
Kent is well known for its excellent selection of schools. Popular private options include Sutton Valence, Tonbridge (ranked amongst the top ten private school in the UK in The Sunday Times list), King’s and St Edmund’s. Barming primary school is an eight-minute walk from the house, and there are state schools for boys and girls in Maidstone, Cranbrook, Sittingbourne, and Tonbridge.
The area is well-connected for access to London and the M25. Barming rail station is a seven-minute drive away, and runs services to London Victoria in just over an hour. West Malling also has regular connections to Waterloo and Charing Cross, whilst East Farleigh which is only 5 minutes from the house has connections to London via Paddock Wood. Maidstone East is also close by, with more frequent services to the capital. The Folkestone Eurotunnel can be reached in around 40 minutes for travel to Europe. By car Tower Bridge and central London can be reached in an hour and 10 minutes.
Council Tax Band: H
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