Their First Home Purchase Fell Through—Then This Couple Bought a Post Office

UpdatedJan 3, 2024 8:58 AM EST

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Honestly, rushing the decorating process basically always leads to impulse buys you regret—and more stuff ending up in landfills. The pros keep telling us: decorate slowly. Meander through your local flea market, scour eBay at midnight, keep your eyes peeled for garage sale signs. As British art director and designer Emily Henson explains in her new book, Create: Creativity Before Consumption, you'll end up with a space that actually reflects you and a healthier planet. Win-win.

"Consuming less and shopping more consciously may be a slower way of decorating, but it is honestly thrilling when you nail the look you love while often spending less," she writes. For the ultimate inspo, look no further than Henson's tour of a couple's reimagined post office on England's Kent coast, excerpted below. I'm obsessed already.

Buying three floors of a 1910 post office and sorting depot in need of a total overhaul was not what Karone Pack-Lum and Jon Agrippa had in mind when they decided to leave London for the Kent coast. They'd had their hearts set on a big old brick house, but the sale fell through. When they heard about this property through word of mouth—it wasn't even listed—they immediately saw the potential: good bones, a one-of-a-kind building, a dreamy location, and a creative challenge. Honestly, it's giving main character energy.

Self-described die-hard Londoners, the couple previously lived in East London—Jon working in fashion, Karone in interiors. But they were tiring of city life and craved something slower and more intentional that didn't revolve around paying the mortgage. Their seaside life is a total vibe shift from their fast-paced city days. Jon is now a personal trainer, and Karone designs jewelry while taking on the occasional interior design project. Talk about a glow-up.

Once they'd found the property in this up-and-coming coastal town, they struggled to find builders who could work within their budget. The section of the sorting depot they bought hadn't been developed like the rest of the building—it was literally just a shell. No electric, no gas supply, not even stairs connecting the three floors. The lower level—now the main living area—had been a loading bay with two huge openings in the walls, as big as the Crittall-style windows that now fill that space. The upper floor, where the main bedroom now sits, was a warren of staff rooms and toilets, with a gaping hole in the floor where a chute dropped to the basement. Let me tell you, the transformation is unreal.

At first sight the house looks seriously luxe, and don't get me wrong, money has been spent here. But much of the budget went into the structural changes needed to convert the building from a mail sorting depot into a home. The couple moved in once the major structural work was done, but the decorative stuff is an ongoing labor of love. Karone and Jon got creative with cost-effective solutions and worked with existing finishes and flooring wherever possible. Many of the walls are finished with bare plaster—a look they're obsessed with that also saves on a hefty painting bill. The kitchen was built from moisture-resistant MDF and left unpainted, intended as a temporary fix until they build their "real" kitchen. But honestly? They've grown to love it and may simply update it with a green marble work surface down the line. Chef's kiss.

Most of the lighting and furnishings are secondhand—scored at house clearances, on eBay, or from salvage yards. Even the luxurious bathtub was an eBay find, and tons of other pieces that look like pricey designer gems were discovered through diligent hunting. Karone swears you can get deals on almost everything if you're willing to look: "It is truly amazing the amount of stuff that is ripped out and thrown away." PSA: secondhand is the move.

Design philosophy? We love working with the space using a limited color palette, then layering in texture.

Most important thing at home? Loving where you live—period.

Where do you shop for your home? We're all about scouring online auctions—eBay, Facebook Marketplace—plus salvage and house clearances. The hunt is half the fun.

Favorite creative solution? The whole build was one giant creative solution. We had the architect, builders, and basically everyone convinced we couldn't pull this off on our budget—hey, what did they know! We did it anyway.

Stay put or keep reinventing? We tend to stay put—why mess with a good thing?

Anything left on the wish list? Oh, there's definitely a running list of both cosmetic and essential jobs we're working our way through. Stay tuned!

Reprinted with permission fromCreate: Creativity Before Consumptionby Emily Henson. Photography by Catherine Gratwicke © Ryland Peters & Small 2022. Published by Ryland Peters & Small.

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