A Quiet Restoration: The Home of Sam Scales

When illustrator Sam Scales and his partner first came upon their Suffolk house, they almost walked straight past it. Set back from the road and hidden behind a tangle of greenery, it had a quiet humility; a house paused in time, patient and unobtrusive, waiting to be noticed again.

‘It was the brickwork that caught our eye,’ Sam recalls. ‘That soft Suffolk white brick, weathered and calm. You could tell it had been loved once, even if it had been a while.’

Inside lay a home long rented and little cared for: worn carpets, thickly painted-over woodwork, and a quiet melancholy in the air. Yet beneath the years of neglect, its beauty remained. High ceilings, generous proportions, and a deep stillness that spoke to an artist’s eye and sense of possibility.

‘It needed so much attention, but it had soul,’ Sam says. ‘We could see the potential straight away.’ So began a restoration, shared with his followers at @seventeentwentyseven.

The process of renewal has brought with it a handful of small clues as to past lives lived within its walls – an old Victorian shoe found tucked beneath the floorboards; fragments of coving preserved from another century – but otherwise there are few tangible traces of those who came before. But despite the absence of detail, Sam feels a deep connection to the home’s history.

‘It’s a familiar kind of house,’ Sam reflects. ‘The sort of Victorian terrace many of us grew up in. I love that sense of continuity - the fireplaces in every room, the reminder of how life once revolved around warmth and care. It’s a comforting thought.'

For Sam, the act of restoration feels meditative, an unearthing of quiet stories rather than a rush to modernise. ‘We’ve learned to take our time,’ he explains. ‘Each layer of paint we’ve stripped back has revealed a little more of its character. It’s almost cathartic, like giving the house its voice back.’

Though known for his delicate, atmospheric illustrations, Sam’s artistic eye is everywhere here: in the muted palette, the play of light across bare plaster and aged wood, the balance of texture and tone. ‘Light is everything,’ he says. ‘The Suffolk light has such a magical quality - golden in the evenings, gentle in the mornings. It’s definitely shaped how we’ve chosen colours and materials.’

Each space feels considered yet deeply lived-in. And, like with so many older house projects, progress has come at its own pace. ‘I’d love to say we’ve always embraced the slowness,’ Sam laughs, ‘but sometimes you just want it finished.’ Still, each new layer, whether stripped back or restored, brings a step forward – from replacing ceilings while preserving original coving, to reinstating fireplaces in the dining room and main bedroom.

‘There’s something incredibly satisfying about doing it properly,’ he says. ‘Each room teaches you something new – about the house, but also about yourself.’

Stanton Oak Drinks Trolley, Featured

Those lessons, it turns out, are as much about patience as they are about craft. ‘This year has given us a lot of confidence. We’ve learned to trust our instincts, to make decisions together and know that they’ll feel right.’

Their first year has unfolded in rhythm with the seasons: spring in the garden, autumn spent layering warmth indoors. Soon, a new kitchen will take shape - a place for long mornings, easy suppers, and simple pleasures.

‘The simple moments are what matter most,’ Sam says. ‘Cooking together, reading, movie nights. The house doesn’t need to be finished for those things to feel special.’

Among their newest additions is our Stanton Drinks Trolley, already at home in the living room. ‘It felt right immediately,’ he says. ‘Candles, snacks, a few cookbooks underneath — it’s one of those timeless pieces you know will age beautifully.’

For Sam, both illustration and renovation share the same thread - a love of story, of layering meaning and emotion into the everyday. ‘The house has made me appreciate artwork even more,’ he reflects. ‘Each piece adds personality, it tells a part of the story. That’s what I love - the idea of storytelling in a single image, or a room that feels honest and lived-in.’

When asked how he might capture the essence of this project, Sam pauses. ‘It would be the feeling of being home,’ he says. ‘Dappled light, a warm glow, time moving slowly. A space that’s calm, but full of life.’