Cool. crisp and contemporary. Not usually the words used to describe a countryside bolthole, but then again, this home’s owner, Brigitta Spinocchia Freund, is always keen to lean into the unexpected. At the London-based interior designer’s Sussex family retreat, a converted barn she shares with her husband and three tweens, the vibe may be ‘easy, cosy and comfortable,’ she says, ‘but it has been decorated with life and style in mind’. Buying post-pandemic in 2021, Brigitta was drawn to the area near Lewes to be closer to one or her best friends. ‘There is a different energy tjere – lots of amazing, interesting people, biodynamic farm shops, good gastropubs,’ she explains. ‘It was the perfect antidote to escaping the busyness of London. It has a sense of wholesomeness
that really grounds all of us and encourages the kids to get into the fresh air and away from their screens.’
