Inspiration of the Week: a soupçon of southern French style… in East Sussex

Inigo may be devoted to the UK’s architectural gems, but that’s not to say we’re lacking a world view – especially when it comes to interiors. In fact, spaces that take their cues from far-flung places frequently top our lust list. And the latest? Those of Friars Walk, a Victorian public house in Lewes that has a certain je ne sais quoi about it… And it’s for sale.

From the outside, the building is quintessentially English (if not recognisably domestic), with glossy green tiles and a frieze proclaiming “ales and stout”. But here the Anglo aesthetic ends. To walk through the front door is to step into the pages of Côte Sud or Elle Décoration. You could almost – almost ­– have wandered into a gîte in Provence, if only the Ouse boasted the same warm levante wind.

All the other boxes are ticked, however: gauzy fabrics, stripped wooden furniture, a melange of bric-a-brac and upholstered Louis-ish furniture. We love the laissez-faire look of the kitchen, where scrubbed floorboards and paint-scuffed antiques are lifted by more refined notes: a sink encased in marble, for instance, or a carved Rococo-style chandelier. We’re charmed by the café curtains too, which not only give a bit of privacy from the street, but also act as removable room dividers, covering the glass partition that separates the dining room.

Elsewhere, hexagonal terracotta floor tiles with a distinctly French accent add to the holiday air, while in almost every room a palette of pure white and soft cream brings brightness of a rare sort this side of the Channel. Santé to that!