I'm a freelance interiors journalist, and I also write a blog about stylish holiday lets, Emily Escaped, an antidote to the idea that holiday rentals need to be bland and beige. In the end I decided to dive in and create the kind of holiday home that I would like to stay in as a guest – luxurious, stylish, but fun.
We had been coming to Rye as visitors for a while before we bought here, and fell in love with its beautiful buildings and amazing history - but also the fact that's it's a thriving town, not preserved in aspic.
An ideal day would see us up for breakfast at The Ship Inn, before walking it off down over the dunes to Camber Sands. Back in Rye for the afternoon, we'd dig out some vintage bargains in the antique shops and rummage for some vinyl at Grammar School Records, then have a quick drink in the atmospheric back bar at the ancient Mermaid. Dinner would be in acclaimed local eatery the Landgate Bistro, finishing the night with some live music at the Queen's Head over the road.