Estelle Derouet by Bruce Hemming


Estelle Derouet

Pictures Bruce Hemming

Estelle Derouet lives here with her husband John and son Louis – and Mandoo the cat (Cat Mandoo)

Her family comes from the Vendée region of France and her collections and and taste in art etc is influenced by her childhood there and her family connections.  In the kitchen she has a variety of objects that remind her of home, including vintage  Madeleine moulds and the set of sugar, coffee and chicory tins.  Antique candlesticks, which she collects and vintage French linen dress the table together with some family silver.Estelle saw the early portrait of a lady on the sideboard at an Ardingly antiques fair and was tempted but did not buy it, regretting that she later contacted the dealer and was delighted to find out that he still hadn¹t sold it and that it was French in origin – she thought that it was destined for her home!.

The whole house has hardly been touched for over fifty years and needed complete renovation and a kitchen extension added and finally after several years work it was finished in time for Christmas.

Click on an image to enlarge