This cute East Sussex cottage is surprisingly spacious

With its peg-tiled facade and gingham bow adorning the front door, this Edwardian cottage in an East Sussex village wouldn’t look out of place on a Christmas card. Olivia Ruckley, an interior designer, bought it with her husband Cameron in 2021.

Back then, it was the perfect fit for their life stage, and they steadily decorated most of the rooms. But when their daughter arrived, they knew they needed more space.

They set about obtaining planning permission to add another bedroom and bathroom, and to open up the ground floor at the rear to create a large kitchen-diner that was more conducive to family living.