Friars Walk, Lewes, East Sussex

Inigo may be devoted to the UK’s architectural gems, but that’s not to say we’re lacking a world view – especially when it comes to interiors. In fact, spaces that take their cues from far-flung places frequently top our lust list. And the latest? Those of Friars Walk, a Victorian public house in Lewes that has a certain 

From the outside, the building is quintessentially English (if not recognisably domestic), with glossy green tiles and a frieze proclaiming “ales and stout”. But here the Anglo aesthetic ends. To walk through the front door is to step into the pages of 

have wandered into a gîte in Provence, if only the Ouse boasted the same warm 

All the other boxes are ticked, however: gauzy fabrics, stripped wooden furniture, a melange of bric-a-brac and upholstered Louis-ish furniture. We love the laissez-faire look of the kitchen, where scrubbed floorboards and paint-scuffed antiques are lifted by more refined notes: a sink encased in marble, for instance, or a carved Rococo-style chandelier. We’re charmed by the café curtains too, which not only give a bit of privacy from the street, but also act as removable room dividers, covering the glass partition that separates the dining room.

Elsewhere, hexagonal terracotta floor tiles with a distinctly French accent add to the holiday air, while in almost every room a palette of pure white and soft cream brings brightness of a rare sort this side of the Channel. 

Inspiration of the Week: a soupçon of southern French style… in East Sussex

Friars Walk, an old pub in Lewes and currently on the market, has more than a dash of Provençal prettiness about it. Chapeau!