Antiques dealers take on the renovation of a dilapidated early 19th-century maison de maître

As seasoned dealers in French antiques, Cathy and Peter Bullen were well placed to turn this historic house into their home from home. Photographs: Andreas von Einsiedel

The warm amber tones of the curtains are picked out in the hand-blown, bubbled finish of the antique Biot glassware. The Edwardian sideboard is English and the 19th-century French dining chairs are covered in a Hugh St Clair fabric – ‘I bought them ‘blind’ at auction for £20 for the six. I just heard the word ‘French’ and put my hand up,’ says Cathy.

Andreas von Einsiedel

Amanda Harling

Published: May 22, 2024 at 9:27 am

With homes in Suffolk and the South of France, Peter and Cathy Bullen lead a life full of contrast and travel. ‘As antiques dealers we divide our time between the two, spending roughly six weeks based here in Cotignac before driving back to our Suffolk home, the van laden with the latest items we’ve bought,’ says Cathy.

The couple initially got to know the area 15 years ago when Peter, who was then in the army, was posted to the South of France as a liaison officer with the French army. Cathy, who was working as a dance tutor and choreographer, joined him in Provence, having packed up their Suffolk home. ‘We found a house to rent just outside Cotignac, a beautiful village not too far from the French army base, and I began exploring the surrounding area, stopping to rummage through antiques fairs and brocantes where I’d find pieces to style our home,’ she says.

Three years later, Peter’s posting came to an end and Cathy’s by-then sizeable collection of French furniture and artefacts was trundled back to Suffolk in a large removal lorry. ‘Fortunately, our home in Bildeston, though not huge, does have a couple of old stables and an artist’s studio, so we piled it all in there while figuring out how I’d start a French brocante from home. We sent out invitations to our friends, styled the outbuildings into room sets and waited to see the response. By the end of the weekend there was scarcely anything left!’

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- Andreas von Einsiedel -
Cathy Bullen 19th-century French townhouse kitchen shelves
A range of pretty blue-and-white stencilled china and a set of Miranda Berrow ceramic mugs line open shelves - Andreas von Einsiedel -
Cathy Bullen 19th-century French townhouse kitchen cabinet
Vintage storage canisters, glasses and decorative china are displayed on the dresser shelves beneath the stairs. All typical of what is to be found at The Boule-in. - Andreas von Einsiedel -
Cathy Bullen 19th-century French townhouse dining room
The warm amber tones of the curtains are picked out in the hand-blown, bubbled finish of the antique Biot glassware. The Edwardian sideboard is English and the 19th-century French dining chairs are covered in a Hugh St Clair fabric – ‘I bought them ‘blind’ at auction for £20 for the six. I just heard the word ‘French’ and put my hand up,’ says Cathy. - Andreas von Einsiedel -

Clearly the Bullens were doing something right, with the result that they began the first of many trips to France to source more furniture and decorative items for what had become a flourishing business – The Boule-in. ‘Eventually we did a role swap,’ says Cathy, ‘as Peter left the army and joined me full time. Word spread, and for the last 11 years we’ve been holding our French decorative fêtes three times a year.’

With increasing amounts of time spent sourcing antiques in provincial France, it made sense for the Bullens to find a permanent home there. ‘After renting a house in Cotignac for several years, we were always daydreaming about having our own property.

So, when we spotted a dilapidated early 19th-century maison de maître on the market, we were first in line to view it. Although the property had been in the same family for years, it hadn’t been lived in for quite some time and the fact that it hadn’t been updated was part of its appeal, as was the adjoining garage, which would provide useful storage space.

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Cathy Bullen 19th-century French townhouse living room
Furniture and art gathered on the Bullens’ forays around Europe fill the first-floor drawing room where the original marble fireplace is surmounted by a 19th-century French trumeau. The sofas are covered in an understated Hugh St Clair fabric from Sophie Grattan Bellew, with velvet cushions by Susi Bellamy and Pooky lampshades adding vibrant accents. - Andreas von Einsiedel -
Cathy Bullen 19th-century French townhouse living room vase
Calla lilies fill an ornate 19th-century ceramic barbotine vase, which has been placed on a marble-topped washstand bought in a local brocante. - Andreas von Einsiedel -
Cathy Bullen 19th-century French townhouse living room shelves
On the bookcase and elsewhere, carefully curated pieces illustrate the Bullens’ catholic taste for the arts and crafts of both Britain and France. The ceramic quince on the top shelf is by Geoffrey Luff, a Cotignac resident. The buttoned velvet chairs were bought in an antiques fair in Belgium. - Andreas von Einsiedel -
Cathy Bullen 19th-century French townhouse terrace
A fabulous Indian parasol from Faro Home provides moveable shade on the terrace with its view across town and the surrounding countryside. - Andreas von Einsiedel -

Fortunately, architectural details, such as the original fireplaces in both reception rooms, were still in situ, as were almost all of the traditional hexagonal terracotta ‘tomette’ floor tiles.’ Its location in a side street, just steps away from the picturesque, leafy marketplace, couldn’t be more convenient either; the shops, restaurants and bars of Cotignac are as renowned as the weekly street market.

The house underwent a complete overhaul over the course of the next two years. ‘The top floor had been used for grain storage and was traditionally tiled to discourage rats and mice; the walls were the ultimate in rustic and we needed six tonnes of plaster to cover the rough stone,’ says Cathy. One of these lofty greniers was transformed into the main bedroom, with plenty of space for a bath and shower at one end. The other became the summer kitchen from where a staircase leads up to a new mezzanine-balcony, which projects from the roof space.

Cathy relished the opportunity to put her flair for design to good use and, while the interior is distinctly French in style, there are still hints as to the provenance of the owners. ‘Much of the artwork comes from the UK. Our artist son, Jack Bullen, is director of the annual Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair; as well as his own prints and paintings, we’ve purchased a few works by artists exhibiting at the Fair.’

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Cathy Bullen 19th-century French townhouse main bedroom
What was formerly the grenier on the top floor is now the main bedroom, where an Italian green glass chandelier accentuates the lofty ceiling. The tomette floor tiles are original but the cupboard is a new addition, completed with a pair of French windows lined with linen sheets to add a vintage look. - Andreas von Einsiedel -
Cathy Bullen 19th-century French townhouse main bedroom dressing table
The dressing table next to the window is surmounted by a grey-painted French mirror. - Andreas von Einsiedel -
Cathy Bullen 19th-century French townhouse main bedroom detail
On the dressing table a charming set of 1930s pressed glass adding another subtle accent to the green theme. - Andreas von Einsiedel -
Cathy Bullen 19th-century French townhouse bathroom
There was plenty of space in the main bedroom for a bath and shower. The shower is concealed behind a set of wooden doors that were found in the cellar. An ornate European torchère festooned with carvings of grapes is put to good use as a plant stand, with soap and bubble bath in decanters on the vintage French metal washstand by the side of the bath. - Andreas von Einsiedel -
Cathy Bullen 19th-century French townhouse guest bedroom
Cathy Bullen 19th-century French townhouse guest bedroom washstand
A hand basin has been set into a piece of vintage furniture and the fans were given to Cathy by a friend living in Japan. - Andreas von Einsiedel -
Cathy Bullen 19th-century French townhouse guest bedroom fireplace
A low chest fits neatly into the original marble fireplace, where a French hand-painted, buff-coloured glass vase dating from the 1900s echoes the sepia tones of the pretty trumeau mirror above. - Andreas von Einsiedel -

The lantern light in the kitchen couldn’t be more English, as it originally formed part of a lamppost on London’s Embankment. ‘A local lady was clearing out her garden shed and asked if we would take it off her hands,’ Cathy explains. Textiles, too, hail mainly from the UK, supplied by Suffolk friend and neighbour, interior designer Sophie Grattan Bellew. Fabric designs by Hugh St Clair, another Suffolk friend, have also been incorporated into the decorative scheme. ‘Hugh’s designs are timeless, so they work well in a period setting, while the colours and scale give a gentle nod to contemporary style.’

Cathy points out that, ‘while we source more or less everything in France, not everything is French. We might see a Chinese lacquer tray or a lovely example of Murano glass and, if we like it, we buy it. Juxtaposing old and new is fun, so the house is furnished with a mix of antiques, mid-century and modern design. The pieces we bring back to England are a reflection of that look, too. We only buy things we like and, happily, our customers seem to share our taste.’ 

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