SittiNG/DiNiNG rooM The sofa (right) is covered in Acorn and Leaf fabric in
Straw by Vanessa Arbuthnott; Kay upholstered the armchair in an orange check fabric
from Dunelm Mill. The dining table (above) was made by Paul from a door; the wooden
bench came from a pine shop; chairs from an antiques shop and the seat cushions are
from Matalan. Kay made the table runner and bench cushions. The trough on the table
came from Seaview Antiques in Horncastle. The mirror came from Ikea and was painted
in Pigeon by Farrow & Ball. The Quaker Oats sign is from an antiques shop in Horncastle.
K

ay
Thacker’s favourite time of year is undoubtedly
Halloween when her cottage, with its American folk-style
interior, is decked out with pumpkins and Halloween
accessories. ‘I’ve loved Halloween since I was a child when
I used to carve out a turnip, put a candle in it and walk
the streets wishing everyone a happy Halloween!’ she says.
‘Now I love surrounding myself with pumpkins!’
Kay’s 17th-century cottage with its beams, nooks and
crannies certainly lends itself to the occasion, and the
purchase of it was such a coincidence that it seemed almost
as if it was meant to be. At the time Kay and her husband
Paul were living in a nearby town. ‘We were desperate to
move to a village with a close-knit community,’ says Kay.
‘We knew this village well and I had spotted the house,
which is quite tucked away, and absolutely loved it. One
day, a lady came to my shop and we got chatting. I told her
how I loved a particular cottage in a nearby village and
described it. Then she said “It’s mine!” She invited me to
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