A cozy living room corner with a wood-burning stove, a vase of flowers on a wooden mantel, a wicker basket filled with logs, and a beige sofa partially visible on the left side.

INTERIOR DESIGN IN SUSSEX

Listed Buildings, Country Houses, Barn Conversions and more …

Having founded the practice in the heart of Sussex, our studio has developed a strong reputation in the area, delivering bespoke Interior Design services for both the residential and commercial sectors. During this time, we have worked with an array of clients and subsequently developed a nuanced understanding of the varying property types that can be found across the region. Our experience spans Edwardian terraces, Regency townhouses, country homes and contemporary new-builds, accepting commissions from clients across the whole of East Sussex and West Sussex, Haywards Heath, and other surrounding villages within the South Downs National Park and High Weald.

Piers Thurston also works throughout Surrey, Kent and London, but maintain a constant presence throughout Sussex where several of our ongoing projects are located.

Our Services

COVERING EAST & WEST SUSSEX FROM HASTINGS TO CHICHESTER

Whether the project is in Lewes, or Ditchling, Hassocks or Alfriston, we always look to respect the existing architecture of a home. In the instance of heritage properties – which are so apparent in the area - this means balancing any historic features and the architectural integrity of a property, with the comfort and warmth our clients have come to expect of our studio, resulting in beautiful, yet functional homes that utilise modern conveniences and can facilitate family life.

Rather than compete with the heritage of a property, we allow it to inform the design. In understanding the features that gives a home character – be it original timber beams, ornate cornicing, generous proportions or sash windows – our team can balance these with contemporary interventions that improve the way a home functions, without compromising the architectural integrity.

Such features look a little different for each home depending on the type of property and its advantages or limitations. Our most common enquiries across Sussex come from Barn Conversions, Victorian Homes and Country Houses set within Rural Estates.

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Selected Work

DESIGN SERVICES

Every project is different, which is why we offer a range of services tailored to varying needs and stages of the design journey. From complete interior design and project delivery to focused consultations and specialist studio support, our approach remains the same: thoughtful, detail-driven and centred around creating spaces of character.

  • A bedroom with a white bed, striped pillows, and a dark floral wallpaper mural behind the bed. There is a bedside table with a vintage radio, and a hanging lampshade with a twisted cord. Part of a wicker lampshade is visible at the top right.

    Full Interior Design

    Our signature service for complete home transformations. From concept to completion, we manage every detail to create thoughtful, characterful interiors that feel beautifully lived-in. This could be a whole house transformation or a single room, but always entails a measured survey, space planning, concept development, FF&E and material specifications, bespoke joinery, and technical drawings. Learn more

  • Person holding a green booklet with the word 'COAT' and a website URL on it, surrounded by fabric swatches, tools, and pattern samples on a table.

    Design Consultations

    Focused design support for those seeking expert guidance on a specific room, project or design challenge. Perfect for clients renovating a kitchen, struggling with the layout of a sitting room, unsure about a colour scheme, or even seeking reassurance during an ongoing renovation. Our Design Consultations offer practical advice, clear direction and tailored solutions. Learn more

  • Living room scene with a wall-mounted framed picture of people dining outdoors overlooking a sea landscape, beige textured sofa, wooden table with a round top, wooden chair with woven seat, and built-in shelving with decorative objects and a lamp.

    Studio Support

    Technical and creative support for independent interior design studios. This service is specifically targeted toward other practices that need additional creative or technical support, or access to specialist software. Professional drawings, visualisations and documentation delivered with precision, discretion and reliability. Learn more

INTERIOR DESIGN TAILORED TO SUSSEX ARCHITECTURAL STYLES

Barn Conversions

Whilst Barn Conversions offer extraordinary spaces with double-height volumes and timber frames, their scale can feel overwhelming, hollow and cold if left untreated. Naturally, our approach varies client-on-client, but as a rule of thumb we would usually look to divide any open space into intimate zones, with strategic furniture layouts, mixed media flooring and large rugs. In doing so, any dramatic impact is preserved, and we avoid the install of additional walls.

Acoustics are of equal consideration when planning the interior of a Barn Conversion. Upholstered furniture, heavy linens, layered window treatments and natural fibres all help to soften sound, without detracting from the character of the building. Our team can take this as far as needed, even to the details of gathered skirts to sofas, or ruffled headings to curtains. 

Victorian Properties

Possessing heritage craftsmanship and wonderful proportions, but not always suited to modern living, space planning and reconfiguration is always a key consideration when we’re working with a Victorian Property. In establishing smoother connections between rooms, our clients benefit from increased flow and maximised daylight, whilst preserving and restoring existing period features. Original fireplaces, cornicing, ceiling roses, joinery and sash windows become integral to our design proposal, but enhanced in a manner suited to contemporary living. Modern interventions are introduced sympathetically, allowing period detailing and modern furnishings to exist comfortably alongside one another.

Country Houses & Estates

In our opinion, a large country home should always feel as welcoming and homely as their smaller counterparts and never intimidating. At Piers Thurston, we focus on creating spaces that seamlessly facilitate everyday living and behavioural habits, whilst respecting the scale and architecture of such properties. Think layered lighting, tactile material, bespoke upholstery and curated antiques, all of which contribute to a warm, lived-in atmosphere, rather than a space that’s overly formal.

SPECIALIST INTERIOR DESIGN FOR LISTED BUILDINGS AND HERITAGE HOMES

Naturally, many of the properties present across the landscape of East and West Sussex require some degree of planning requirements or Listed Building consent. In such cases, tour studio will work alongside any appointed architects, planning consultants or conservation officers to develop a design proposal that respects the significance of a building, carefully balanced with contemporary functionality. Often, much of this involves considered decisions regarding material specification, to preserve any historic detailing and allow the existing structure to ‘breathe’. Where appropriate, we might look to lime plaster, natural stone, reclaimed timber, handcrafted tiles or solid timber flooring, with traditional finishes that complement the existing architecture

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BRINGING MODERN COUNTRY WARMTH TO SUSSEX INTERIORS

At Piers Thurston, our philosophy when designing for Sussex-based clients remains centred on homes curated in form yet effortless in function, that embrace “the undone beauty of characterful imperfections” and marries a client brief with the architecture of a home and the context in which it sits. Ultimately, we’re all about comfort, establishing homes to be lived-in; homes that support everyday life, and make routines easier, whether that’s catering to a young family, or a home for entertaining. In any case, we endeavour to yield work that feels of a superior quality, without it feeling precious, untouchable or unattainable.

Our Services
Living room with wallpaper, a yellow side table, a wicker basket, and pillows on a couch.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

  • Absolutely. Whilst we would never impose a signature style, we do have a personal affinity for older period and character properties, taking great consideration to preserve their architectural features and balance them with revised furniture layouts, lighting proposals or new finishes suited to contemporary living.

  • Yes, we’ve worked with a number of clients who own second homes or live elsewhere during renovation works (on one occasion, as far as the Philippines), and contrary to popular belief, this actually allows for a more efficient install process, led by the guiding hand of our comprehensive project management services.

  • Yes, we accept commissions throughout Brighton, Hove, Lewes, Arundel, Midhurst, Petworth, Ditchling, Haywards Heath, Alfriston and the surrounding villages across both East and West Sussex.

  • Yes. In collaborating with architects, conservation specialists and experienced contractors, we can ensure a listed property is renovated sensitively while meeting modern standards.

  • Absolutely, in fact our portfolio of ongoing work currently encompasses both a townhouse in Brighton and an Arts & Crafts cottage on the Sussex-Surrey border, and both are given equal consideration and time of course.

  • Yes. Barn conversions require a considered approach to proportion, lighting, acoustics and zoning, so we would always recommend enlisting the help of an interior design studio like ourselves for such properties.

  • Piers Thurston endeavours to preserve as much character as possible, whilst carefully introducing contemporary comforts and conveniences. Original architectural features become the foundation of the design proposal, with modern additions integrated sympathetically so the home feels timeless rather than newly renovated.

  • Yes. Collaboration is central to every successful renovation, so we always work alongside architects, structural engineers, specialist consultants and trusted local contractors when required.

  • Absolutely. Beautiful homes should also be lived-in, so our interiors are designed around the realities of everyday life, balancing practicality, durability, comfort and aesthetics.

“ENTER PIERS, PART DESIGNER, PART MEDIATOR, PART WIZARD”

Last year, my partner and I bought our first home - an exciting milestone, quickly followed by the realisation that we have wildly different ideas about what “good taste” looks like. Enter Piers: part designer, part mediator, part wizard. Piers managed to turn our clashing visions into a beautifully cohesive whole-house scheme that we’re completely obsessed with, and is helping us create a home that really feels like ours … Even more impressively, he found a way to incorporate all the sentimental (and occasionally questionable) pieces we insisted on keeping, making them look like they belonged there all along … In short: if you’re looking for someone fabulous, talented, and alarmingly good at making you feel like you had great taste all along, Piers is your person.

— Heather, M.

Follow @piersthurston_ on Instagram for latest updates, behind the scenes and work in progress.

Today we’re sharing another perspective of some kitchen visuals we recently shared, based on original designs from @elixirinteriordesign, a repeat studio client of ours. A cosy yet fun dining snug, complete with reeded glass and bespoke birch-p
A little tray of decisions. Sample trays are one of my favourite parts of our design process, and not just because they look pretty (although, that helps). They bring everything together in one place so you can see how fabrics, finishes, colours, tex
Drenched in white and with a passing place that disrupted the entire space, this living room lacked in both personality and function. By revising the electrical supply, changing the orientation of the room and establishing a clear focal point, we wer
Our Camera Roll recently! Naturally, the hours spent at a computer aren’t documented as no-one needs to watch me transform into Quasimodo, but we’ve had several other exciting developments across August which make for much more interestin