Mistress of reinvention

WHEN it comes to furnishing your house, one thing to ask yourself is do you want it to look like everyone else’s… or do you want it to be a home to pretty, quirky and individual pieces no one else has? If it’s the latter, you might want to take a wander around Peppercorn House.

This Aladdin’s Cave, in Hurworth, was spirited into being in 2010 by Nikki Thompson, her aim to offer an eclectic mix of furniture and bespoke and individual pieces for the home. It’s a refreshing antidote to internet shopping or picking something up from the ubiquitous furniture stores that populate our shopping malls. “The whole idea is to redefine the way people shop, by moving away from mass-produced, flat-pack furniture,” says Nikki. “I prefer to embrace the old and bring it with us into the 21st century.”

And the real joy of shopping at Peppercorn House is that you never know what you might find… or what unusual items will take your fancy.

“We only sell what we really love,” says Nikki. “We are a small company whose ethos is to offer pieces that are different and finished to a high standard, giving you something bespoke for your home.”

She is also driven by a need to be green, giving items that might otherwise be discarded new life. “Our mantra is to reinvent, preserve and revive pieces to bring out the best in them with the least impact on our environment,” says Nikki. So old wing chairs are resprung and covered in exciting new fabrics; a chest of dark wood drawers is hand-painted in French grey with a distressed and aged finish; a Victorian tilt top table reinvented in Slipper Satin with a subtle crackle-glaze top and aged finish.

Nikki has also branched out into interior design. She has no formal training but comes from a creative family and has a natural eye for colour and design. “I have always been drawn towards architecture and buildings and their histories, as well as what they are like inside,” she says. “I love walking into a room and having a vision of what it could or should be like, and how it can be improved. I know some people struggle to visualise, but I find it comes naturally to me.” Peppercorn House offers a full interior package from luxurious fabrics and stunning wallpapers to bespoke curtains, blinds and cushions, as well as lovingly hand-painted furniture.

Nikki decided she wanted to turn her passion into a career and finally took the plunge five years ago. “My first year I was just working from home and in the garage, complemented by my website so people could see my work online,” she says. “When I expanded to a workshop, I needed a place to showcase my work and that’s when I found Hurworth Grange. It’s a beautiful old building, set in its own grounds, a busy place used for many different things. It’s the hub of the village.”

Nikki rented the old chapel room, which suited the pieces of furniture she was creating, and now also rents the workshop next door, where she does all her commission work.

The shop is full of one-off pieces that have been sourced by Nikki and done up to improve the look or functionality. “I source pieces from all over the country. It really depends what catches my eye,” she says. She is also building on her home accessory range, quirky little pieces for the home that add a touch of individuality as well as being practical and/or functional at the same time.

“Peppercorn House is all about trying to think out of the box, instead of just throwing things away,” says Nikki. “Why buy a new sofa when you can have your old one reupholstered to look new, and at the same time, make it bespoke to you? The same goes for furniture. I have transformed so many pieces for clients with paint. They may look dated, but with clever techniques and paint finishes I can create something that suits what they are looking for without them having to throw furniture out and buy new.”

On a grander scale, Nikki has also transformed whole kitchens in the same way. “Often the kitchen itself is really good quality and the layout is fine, but the kitchen looks dated,” she says. “Painting the units and shelving can totally change the look, space and light, transforming the room completely and giving the kitchen an expensive look you would normally pay thousands for.”

While she does now employ someone in the shop, Nikki does all the paint work and interior consultations herself. ”I work with a fantastic range of paints and finishes called Autentico, which I also stock in the shop, but I have a team of tradesmen and specialised craftspeople to do the larger interior projects with me, so that we can deliver quality pieces and designs to customers wanting to achieve something special and different.”

Because she is always sourcing pieces for clients, Nikki admits it’s very hard not to buy for herself sometimes and her lovely grade II-listed Georgian house on the outskirts of Neasham - where the 41-year-old lives with husband Stewart and their two young boys - is full of pieces that are quirky and one-off. “I love that originality because you know it’s not off the high street and a piece that everyone has or knows and recognises,” she says. “I wanted our house to be individual and true to the period of the property.”

Her favourite pieces are an old sofa which was a wreck when she bought it. “It’s a lovely, rare 19th century shape and looks stunning after being fully reupholstered. I also have a pair of quirky 1920s fireside chairs in our library room and a rustic shelf on the kitchen wall, which I picked up from a private house sale.”

Nikki is in the throes of launching what she calls her “Signature” collection, a page on her website dedicated to pieces that she has designed and helped to create that people can then order.

“Everything will be made to order, creating that bespoke piece or finish depending on what the client is wanting to achieve. There will be headboards, footstools, furniture, shelving and seating and benches,” she says. “Over the next couple of years, the Signature collection will grow as I design more pieces and add to it. Watch this space.”

Peppercorn House, Hurworth Grange, Hurworth, County Durham DL2 2BN. T: 01325-788245; W: peppercornhouse.com