Heritage and your home
To launch our new TW Edit interiors section we talk to talented local designer Justine Hodgson-Barker of Barkerdesign. Here she tells us about her aesthetic ethos and how helping her clients is so much more than picking out paint colours…
Kent has long attracted people looking for a different pace of life who are drawn to its landscape, architecture and sense of permanence.
Increasingly, many of my clients are relocating from London, searching for a long-term family home with character, somewhere they can properly put down roots. From Decimus Burton villas and Georgian properties to 15th-century farmhouses, 16th-century manor houses and 1930s homes, each project is shaped by the client’s story while respecting the heritage and character of the building.
But while people often fall in love with period houses, living in them is a very different story from just admiring them. Behind the old bones, original detailing and centuries-old beams is usually a home that needs careful thought to work for modern family life. That’s where my work begins. As an interior designer based in Tunbridge Wells, much of my work centres around helping clients put their own stamp on historic homes across Kent and East Sussex while remaining sensitive to the integrity of the property itself.
The aim is never to impose a signature style. In fact, I often describe my role as more about interpretation. Clients usually arrive with instinct, ideas and a strong sense of how they want to live, but they need clarity. My role is to refine those ideas, balance them against the architecture and create spaces that feel as though they’ve always belonged there.
I read this quote once and it stuck with me: “The most successful interiors rarely feel designed. They feel collected over time.” That balance between heritage and how we navigate family life today is something many homeowners struggle with initially. There can be a temptation either to preserve everything too rigidly or, at the other extreme, strip all the character away in pursuit of a cleaner, more modern aesthetic. I believe the most interesting homes sit somewhere in the middle.
Original architectural details should absolutely be respected, whether that’s restoring panelling and cornicing in a Georgian villa or retaining the irregularity and texture that give old farmhouses their charm. But these homes also need to function beautifully for modern life. Often that means reconsidering layouts entirely, improving natural light, integrating bespoke joinery and introducing materials that soften the transition between old and new. I’m particularly interested in creating homes that feel layered and personal rather than overly polished or trend-led.
One client renovating a 16th-century farmhouse described the process as ‘transforming our C16th property into a fresh, contemporary and cosy home, expertly marrying the old with the new.’ Meanwhile, clients renovating a Georgian Villa spoke of ‘creating an elegant and cohesive look for our very tired Georgian home.’
For me, good design is not about creating a house that photographs well for six months. It’s about creating a home with longevity – as well as style.
That’s why I tend to favour natural materials, vintage pieces, craftsmanship and interiors with depth and contrast. Kent provides an incredible backdrop for this kind of work because the county has such architectural diversity. Each building tells a story long before I arrive. Many houses already have the bones so my role is helping them find their heart again.
And perhaps that is why these projects resonate so strongly with people moving here. They are not simply buying houses, they are creating homes and building a new chapter of life around them…
Website: www.barker-design.com
Instagram: @barker_design
