Inside a Shopkeeper’s Untouched 1500s House in the UK
Photography courtesy of Sophie Wilson
Join us for a look inside the 16th-century home of ceramicist/shopkeeper Sophie Wilson and four of her children in The Fens, England. Little has changed within its walls: There are original coats of paint on the walls, patterned tiles from years past, even reeds inside a ceiling, used as insulation and estimated to be more than 300 years old.
When Sophie and her family moved in, “parts of the wooden supporting structure were so rotten you could push your finger into the timber,”
“1690” is inscribed above a door, giving name to Sophie’s shop.
There are three kitchens in the house, including what Sophie calls the “Middle Kitchen.”
“This house has very few secrets,” Sophie says, "and I have learnt how to simply accept flawed beauty.”
"This is the real ‘Manor House’ wing of the property,” Sophie says of the circa-1730 section.
A niche in the living area becomes a shadowbox for Sophie’s vignettes.
"Living here is like theatre. Every aspect is cinematic; every shadow is a story," says Sophie.
The view into one of the children’s rooms, painted in an untouched salmon hue.
Sophie has only taken a brush to two of the baths, like this one, painted in Old White by Farrow & Ball.