House of Dré Designs New Crafted Hotel at Powdermills, East Sussex
House of Dré has unveiled the design for Crafted at Powdermills in East Sussex, the first of a new series of hideaway boutique hotels and clubs where guests are invited to step out of autopilot and into a more inspired, intentional way of living.
House of Dré is an award winning multidisciplinary design studio established in 2020 by Founder & Creative Director, Andreas Christodoulou. The studio’s work spans interior design, sculpture, furniture and industrial design.
Crafted is a new collection of life-friendly hotels and clubs founded by Chris King, co-founder of the original Birch hotel. Designed for modern lives craving more connection, creativity, and calm, each location is a thoughtfully reimagined space where guests can rest, restore, and reconnect – with nature, craft, food, and community.
House of Dré has shaped the design philosophy for Crafted at Powdermills’ Georgian home, honouring its industrial heritage while embracing contemporary design and playful colour. Inspired by the surrounding English woodland, the design embodies a quiet luxury without pretence, offering a sense of home that feels both intentional and effortlessly relaxed. At its heart, Crafted is about craftsmanship – the thread that weaves all its values together.
Collaboration and community is at the heart of the design and sees House of Dré partner with renowned fine furniture maker, Sebastian Cox, ceramicist Holly Dawes, artist Chiara Perano, art curator Despina Wooton, lighting designer Evina Diamantara, as well as many local artists, craftspeople and makers.
Crafted at Powdermills is set within the walls of a Georgian Grade ll-listed country house built around a seven-acre private lake surrounded by ancient woodland, streams and wildflowers pastures. House of Dré’s scope of work for the project included developing the overarching creative vision for the reimagination of the existing hotel.
The studio’s role covered the full concept design for the public areas within the main Georgian mansion house, including the 66 guestrooms and suites, restaurant, cocktail bar, private dining rooms, multiple hotel lounges, reception area and pub.
Andreas Christodoulou, Founder & Creative Director of House of Dré comments:
“Our brief for the project was to create a space for modern lives craving more connection, creativity and calm. Fundamental to the brand’s core values was the celebration of craftsmanship, a deep respect for the historical and social context of the site and each guests’ wellbeing. Sustainability was not a secondary concern – it was the guiding principle woven through every design decision made.”
House of Dré’s creative vision for the hotel grew from the concept of a humble patchwork quilt – a piece of craftsmanship stitched together from fragments of old and new. Rather than one continuous natural palette, the studio created a patchwork of spaces each with its own distinct colour story and character, coming together to create a cohesive whole.
This approach mirrors the spirit of Modern Folk, a style that feels both cosy yet elevated, defined by an earthy palette, mid-century references and a collection of curiosities gathered over time. The aesthetic celebrates heritage and craft while remaining modern and playful.
The reception of the hotel embodies the Crafted values of craftsmanship, heritage and sustainability. The heritage architecture is balanced by contemporary touches including a bespoke lamp by ceramicist Emma Louise Payne and a handcrafted bench by Sebastian Cox, both showcasing British craftsmanship at its finest.
The restaurant takes inspiration from the traditional English Country House Orangery. The bright space in the heart of the hotel transitions effortlessly from breakfast to dinner featuring a light palette, pairing soft white with a hint of grey to complement the existing Carrara marble floor. The mix of vintage furniture, mid-century bentwood chairs and marble tables gives the space an elegant yet relaxed atmosphere.
The cocktail bar offers a striking contrast with a bold coral palette, paired with copper and chrome finishes giving the room a glamorous mid-century energy. House of Dré designed and hand painted the abstract mural within the space. Its playful and immersive design transports guests from the English countryside into a spirited speakeasy environment.
House of Dré worked with local artist Chiara Perano who painted a celestial themed mural onto the ceiling of the heritage private dining room and small event space within the hotel.
Each of the guestrooms and suites has been thoughtfully furnished in collaboration with Sebastian Cox. Working exclusively with locally sourced British timber, House of Dré worked with Sebastian and his team to create a contemporary range of furniture pieces that honour traditional techniques and sustainable values.
Every piece within this range was made entirely in the UK, with the timber for each item carefully chosen and positioned to highlight the natural figuring of the wood, allowing the inherent beauty of British timber to take centre stage.
The desktops, with their rich, mahogany-like tones, are finished using a completely natural, chemical-free process which reacts with the natural tannins within the timber, deepening the wood’s natural warmth without compromising its purity.
Adding to this dialogue between craft and nature, House of Dré also partnered with local ceramicist Holly Dawes to create a bespoke collection of table lamps. Holly’s work is rooted in landscape; gathering clay from ancient woodlands nearby, shaping organic forms that echo the contours of the natural world.
To create the distinctive mottled finish on each lamp, the pieces are placed along the sea’s edge, where the tides gently erode the surface before they are fired in a kiln just a stone’s throw from the hotel. The result is a collection of objects that feel intrinsically linked to the landscape, timeless, tactile, and quietly beautiful.
Each room has been designed by House of Dré as a space that lets you be, a place where guests can unwind, reflect, and reconnect with themselves at their own pace. The studio’s intention was to offer a quiet luxury without pretense, allowing guests to feel naturally at home in a space inspired by the natural English woodland that surrounds it.
The materials throughout the hotel include a mix of locally sourced timbers, hand-thrown ceramics, reclaimed metals and vintage furnishings that create a dialogue between heritage and contemporary craft, ensuring the building’s history remains at the forefront of the design.
The lighting seen in the hotel was developed in collaboration with Evina Diamantar of 18fifty and was inspired by Georgina domestic light – low, warm and indirect. Decorative fixtures form much of the visible scheme creating a cosy and intimate atmosphere.
House of Dré took a playful and modern approach to the colour palette, often double drenching spaces in a single earthy tone, completely enveloping them in colour. By embracing this spirit, House of Dré has created a vibrant counterpoint to the Georgian architecture’s simplicity and balanced proportions. The studio’s aim was to soften the formality and avoid the austere.
House of Dré worked in partnership with art consultant Despina Wotton with the hotel featuring artwork from over a dozen local artists, with bespoke commissions responding directly to each room’s palette and atmosphere.
House of Dré wanted Crafted’s pub to celebrate the site’s industrial heritage, imagining it as a space originally created by the workers of the old gunpowder mill – humble, handmade and layered with history.
The studio has purposely left weld marks visible on the zinc bar top and used bespoke ceramic tiles inspired by Hasting’s natural and industrial past. The palette reinterprets the traditional worker’s pub with rich, warm tones that feel nostalgic, rustic and full of character.
Andreas Christodoulou, Founder & Creative Director of House of Dré comments:
“I am so proud with what we have achieved for Crafted – a project that embodies the values of craft, collaboration and working with local talent. Bringing together so many local artists, craftspeople and makers gives the space an overriding feeling of human warmth. These connections will continue to shape Crafted’s future, ensuring that the brand remains rooted in its community.”
Photography Credit: Milo Hutchings