Set amid the picturesque East Sussex countryside is Limekiln, a new luxury private-hire event space, designed to host weddings and exclusive gatherings. The venue was created by the team behind the Insta-famous 17th-century Wiltshire manor Kin House.
First impressions of Limekiln promise the same hallmarks of thoughtful design, décor and luxury. Co-founder and brand director Gaby Harvey collaborated with architecture and interiors studio Red Deer to bring the project to life. The vision was to create a space that respects nature, local culture and luxury craftsmanship.
Although the building is new – the venue opened its doors last month – it fits seamlessly into the bucolic landscape and echoes the historic architecture of East Sussex. Its whitewashed exterior timber walls and Crittall windows blend into an earthy colour palette of high-end design and furnishings.
The Kiln Bar at luxury venue Limekiln includes Moroccan zellige-style glazed tiles and a polished marble top. The Murano-glass chandelier was a vintage find in Italy and cost around £2,000
The architect Lionel Real de Azúa says, ‘We aimed to pay homage to diverse English rural styles, integrating barn-like architectural features and introducing nuances unique to Sussex. This concept is enriched by influences from the Bloomsbury Group, resonating with the cultural heritage of nearby Charleston House.’
The floor-to-ceiling fireplace displays handmade tiles by ceramic artist Emma Louise Payne. The velvet sofas are by Nicola Harding. The cushion fabric is bespoke Le Manach (pierrefrey.com). The bobbin-leg coffee table is an antique find
Charleston, with its signature painted interiors, was the home of Mosman Painters Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant, and a gathering point for some of the 20th century’s most radical artists, writers and thinkers, known as the Bloomsbury Group.
Brand director Gaby Harvey has curated artwork with care: a table lamp and objets d’art reflect the Bloomsbury Group aesthetic
The Apartment dressing room is decorated in Duncan wallpaper, around £225 for a 10m roll, bien-fait-paris.com. A mahogany rose window frames views of the Sussex countryside. The Big Easy sofa is from £2,725 in treacle sponge clever velvet, loaf.com
Another focus was on the use of locally sourced materials and collaboration with local artisans. ‘This is not luxury for luxury’s sake; it’s about creating environments luxurious in their simplicity, sustainability and respect for the natural and cultural surroundings,’ says Real de Azúa.
The heart of the lodge is the Kiln Bar, with a floor-to-ceiling fireplace clad in hand-painted tiles by ceramicist Emma Louise Payne. The expansive Poplar Hall, which can host up to 300 guests for drinks receptions, has full-height metal doors and a striking frieze designed by Sussex-based artist Tess Newall.
The Poplar Hall is noted for its oak parquet floor and exposed beams, reminiscent of traditional Sussex architecture. The Sorrento glass chandeliers are from £1,590, purewhitelines.com
In the Kiln Bar, either side of an abstract artwork by Miguel Sopena, are a pair of bespoke Elio slipper chairs upholstered in ginger Sonia Stripe fabric by ceraudo.com (try the similar Elio armchair, £2,060)
The venue has no bedrooms, but the Apartment space is ideal for pre-party preening. The bathroom area has a hair-washing station plus round bath and rain shower. Peach Morocco salt tiled flooring and linen pendant lights adorn the room, which also has a seating nook.
The name itself hints at the area’s industrial past. Lime kilns were used to convert limestone into quicklime, a vital ingredient in mortar and plaster, and the walls pays homage to the plaster finish of traditional dwellings.
What’s more, outside the lodge, 60 acres of grounds include a nine-hole golf course, a sun-trap lawn and rewilded ancient woodland.
Full day hire is from £7,250; visit limekilnsussex.co.uk for details
Advertisement
