
Old Flemish House is an exceptional and meticulously restored late 17th-century Grade II-listed house, located on a quiet street a short stroll from the seafront and High Street. Situated in the heart of Deal’s old town, it lies within the Deal Middle Street conservation area– the first designated conservation area in the whole of Kent. At almost 2,000 sq ft, the home unfolds over three exquisite levels; it has five bedrooms and a private walled garden. It has recently undergone an extensive restoration by Anthony Swaine Architectureto preserve and enhance the countless original details. Historic features have been revealed, celebrated, and, where necessary, reinstated; there are countless chamfered beams and inglenook fireplaces with working fires. Contemporary yet sympathetic interventions include a beautiful DeVol kitchen and a series of outstanding bathrooms.
Setting the Scene
Old Flemish House has a handsome appearance at street level. Unusually double-fronted, with 8×8 box sash windows, it has a tall Georgian doorcase rescued from a grand house in Faversham by architect and former owner Anthony Swaine. Something of a palimpsest, the interior is vernacular in character, with Georgian elements harmoniously introduced. Two dormers are set into the Kent peg tile roof, featuring leaded casement windows and unusual Dutch gable ends. To the rear are a series of 18th-century additions, unified behind a traditional weatherboard façade and under a catslide roof in identical hand-crafted Kent peg tiles.
The house has undergone a highly sensitive overhaul throughout, with the roof’s tiles relaid and the dormers rebuilt and releaded. Chimney stacks were repaired and repointed, with lime mortar and plaster used for both the interior and exterior. Windows were carefully repaired where possible or replaced. Burnished cast-iron radiators feature in all rooms, with heated flooring in the kitchen and bathrooms. Ironmongery throughout was supplied by Jim Lawrence, and the pigment-rich paints used in the entire house are by Farrow & Ball. As well as being completely replumbed, part of the total electric rewiring includes a 5-amp circuit installation, exceptional wifi coverage via a high-spec data cabling network, an extensive security system, and high specification smoke and fire alarms. Many of the services can be controlled remotely. A lighting designer consulted on the project to help create a beautiful, sophisticated ambience, night and day, and master craftsmen worked on every aspect of the entire plan. For more information, please see the History section below.
History
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