An eclectic Christmas house tour with Jane Rockett, co-founder of Rockett St George
The run-up to Christmas is the busiest period of the year for Jane Rockett, co-founder of Rockett St George, but she always finds time to cast a gorgeous spell on her own home, a former pub in East Sussex that dates from the 16th century, adding her trademark eclectic touches and seasonal sparkle.
Jane lives in the four-bedroom property with her husband Toby, a chef, Jane's children Lola and Wren and Lola's boyfriend Kelby, plus their dogs Bella, Maggie, Angel and Willow.
For Jane, gearing up for the festive season is a reminder of her wider approach to decorating. 'It's a time when we're conscious of the past, but also feel free to experiment and add our own twist on tradition,' she says. In her inimitable style – she is the co-founder of unique furniture and homeware brand Rockett St George, after all – Jane has blended the history of her home with her own magical mix of modern shapes, adding plenty of gleam, glamour and wit along the way.
The former pub was originally a watering hole for workers in the nearby shipbuilding yards and had already been converted by the previous owners. 'They are a couple who run a nearby antiques shop and have immaculate taste,' adds Jane. This meant the 'heavy lifting' had been done before Jane and her family moved in, with the once-dark and foreboding beams stripped-back and the walls lime-plastered.
The house was ready for a new chapter. 'I'd love to travel back in time to it in its heyday and see all the people who milled around in these rooms,' says Jane with a smile. 'A neighbour recently told me that the rafters and beams are made from timber culled from old ships and, if that's true, it adds even more allure to the property's back story.'
But despite its pub-era past, the living room has a surprisingly contemporary feel, thanks to its newly lightened palette and pared-back textures. 'When we moved in, the whole ground floor was one vast, open-plan space,' explains Jane. In fact, it was so large the couple decided to section off part of it to create a one-bedroom annexe for Jane's daughter and her boyfriend.
'We still have a generous open-plan living room and our modern furniture sits remarkably well within it,' says Jane. 'That's why I love this house, especially at Christmas. It expresses what Rockett St George is all about – a bit of tradition, a bit of modernity and a dash of the anarchic, all brought together to express personality.' For Jane, dreaming up ways to blend vintage finds, gleaming trinkets and modern furniture is always exciting: 'That's when the magic happens.'
As for the extra layer of frivolity that Christmas decor brings, this begins in earnest when the family starts decorating the tree. 'Although my children are now 18, 22 and 24, I still try to make it something we do together,' she says. For a long time, Jane kept all the old decorations from when her children were little: 'I faithfully got them out every year, thinking I was preserving their childhood memories.' But a few years ago, they gave her a bit of a reality check. 'They said, "Er, Mum, everything else here is really cool – so why is our tree always so naff?" It really made me laugh, because I'd been trying so hard not to impose my own style on the Christmas decorations, but we all decided it was time for an update.'
This year, Jane went for classic monochrome baubles and also made a second 'tree' out of red honeycomb paper balls. 'It's a really fun way to add colour,' she explains. 'I've previously made a giant wreath out of paper balls, so the tree idea is another modern twist. I like thinking outside the box at Christmas and doing something different.'
Now that Jane's children are older, Christmas Day has a 'slower ritual': 'Around 11am we raise a glass of champagne, then we open presents together.' Because they have the space and Toby is a chef, they always host Christmas lunch for their extended family. 'There will be 15 of us this year,' says Jane. 'After lunch, we play old-fashioned games, like The Chocolate Game – where you race against time and try to eat a big bar of chocolate with a knife and fork – games I loved playing when I was young.'
As the lead-up to Christmas is full-on for Jane's business, she happily steps back and lets Toby run the catering side of things at home. 'He does the food and I do the decor, so we make a good team,' she explains.
This building is now very much a warm and welcoming family home, but it took time for word to spread that it was no longer a pub. 'Before we put up a fence, all people saw was the large car park out the front, so they still sometimes pulled in. One family turned up on Christmas Day expecting drinks. Another time, a little girl needed to come in and use the loo. Her mum was mortified when it became clear this wasn't a pub.'
But all too soon the festivities are over and it's time to pack everything away, including Jane's favourite decorations – strings of fairy lights. 'I always struggle to take the lights down after Christmas,' she admits. 'I don't want to lose that magical sparkle.'
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