House - inspiration, ideas and patterns for the home

The Grove is the Merchant & Mills house, a beautiful Victorian building around the corner from our shop in Rye, completely renovated and redecorated around our cloth collections. Designing The Grove was the catalyst to create a small collection of patterns that would work together to form a handmade home. These designs are scattered throughout The Grove, in different rooms and environments. They are an easy way to change up your space without the great expense of a renovation or large investment pieces.

Our latest book, HOUSE, tells the story of The Grove and the patterns that inhabit it. It’s more than a book of sewing patterns, it’s a source of interior inspiration. Your new spring-cleaning manual, bound to become a well-thumbed resource every time you feel your home needs a refresh. The instructions for seven sewing patterns live inside, illustrated by inspiring photographs of each pattern made up in signature Merchant & Mills cloth: four different cushions, a quilt, a blind and a duvet set.

Please find below a list of our stockists that have ordered HOUSE. If you are making a special trip it’s always worth checking they have it in stock first.

UK

Backstitch - Burwash Manor, New Road, Barton, Cambridge CB23 7EY

Bawn Textiles - 613 Pollokshaws Rd, Glasgow G41 2QG

Beyond Measure - 5 Winterbutlee Road, Walsden, Todmorden OL14 7QT

Eleanor's Byre - Eleanor's Byre, Embleton, Alnwick, Northumberland NE66 3DW

Hedge - 1419a Pershore Road, Stirchley, Birmingham, B30 2JL

Homeleigh Vintage - Regent House, 4 Silverdale Rd, Arnside, Carnforth LA5 0AB

The Lace Knittery - The Manor Annexe, Horton Manor, Horton Cross, Ilminster, Somerset, TA19 9PY

Ray Stitch - 66 Essex Rd, London N1 8LR

Studio Faeger - Regent House, 4 Silverdale Rd, Arnside, Carnforth LA5 0AB

The Botanical Candle Co. - 6 The commons, Shaftesbury, Dorset SP7 8JU

The Cloth Fox - 10 St Thomas Street, Lymington, SO41 9NA

The Country Crib - 18A Cheap Street, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 3PX

The Fold Line - Online only

The Gilbert Gallery - 4 East Street, South Molton, North Devon EX36 3BU

Salt Cowes - 90 High St, Cowes IOW, PO31 7AW

Sew at 174 - 174 Derby Road, Stapleford, Nottingham NG9 7AY

West Coast Interiors - The Makers Mill, Greta Side, Keswick, CA12 5LG

Yorkshire Dales Country Museum - Station Yard, Burtersett Road, Hawes, North Yorkshire DL8 3NT 

EU

Stofflibelle - Hauptstrasse 2, 2371 Hinterbruehl, Austria

Coocool Mercerie - online only - France

1000stoff - Muskauer Str. 49, 10997 Berlin, Germany

Cross & Woods - Westeinde 73b, 2512 GV Den Haag, Netherlands

FOLK+FIBER - Schagchelstraat 27, 2011 HW Haarlem, Netherlands

Rebel with a Twist - Voorstraat 440, 3311CX Dordrecht, Netherlands

Bernt i Lund - Stora Södergatan 8, 222 23 Lund, Sweden

Lilly Paris - Dorfstrasse 34, 8803 Ruschlikon, Switzerland

Mamsell  - Mühlethalstrasse 24B - 4800 Zofingen, Switzerland

Tobias Milse Couture Concept Store - Rue des Bains 63, 1205 Genève, Switzerland

US

Bolt Neighborhood Fabric Boutique - 2904 NE Alberta St, Portland, Oregon 97211

Iris - 25 Valley Road in Montclair, New Jersey 07042

Josephine's Dry Goods - 2609 SE Clinton Street, Portland, Oregon 97202

Lakes Makerie - 5257 Chicago Ave, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55417

Maude - 10 Western Ave, Petaluma, California 94952

Modern Domestic - 422 NE Alberta St. Portland, 97211

North House Folk School - 500 W Hwy 61, Grand Marais, Minnesota 55604

Osan - Online only

Portland Trading Co. - 83 Market St, Portland, Maine 04101

slowfiber - 517 A Hartnell St, Monterey, California 93940

Spincycle Yarns & Supply Co. - 112 Grand Ave, Bellingham, Washington 98225

Springfield Mercantile Co. - 326 E Commercial St, Springfield, Missouri 65803

Stash - 266 Pine St Suite 221, Burlington, Vermont 05401

Stonemountain - 2518 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley, California 94704

The Gardener Store - 1836 Fourth St, Berkeley, California 94710

Canada

The Workroom - 207 Cowan Ave, Toronto, Ontario, M6K 2N7

Thread Count Fabrics - 37 Crescent Ave W, Souris, Manitoba R0K2C0

Australia & New Zealand

Drill Hall Emporium - 17 Stephen St, New Norfolk TAS 7140, Australia

Miss Maude - 11 Hastwell Street, Greytown 5712, New Zealand

Newtown House - Online only, New Zealand

Pattern Scissors Frock - Online only

Potter & Co. - 3 Auckland Street, North Perth, WA, 6006 Australia

Sew.Be Curated - Shop 2, 386 King St, Newcastle, NSW, 2300 Australia

Rest of World

Blue Balloon - China - Online only

Studio Atcoat - 3F Apgujeong-ro 50-gil Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Korea

Uchidamishin - 452-30 Ogori , Ogori-shi , Fukuoka, Japan

In 2021 Merchant & Mills purchased 4 The Grove, dating from the 1890s a former home of the headmaster of the Rye Grammar School. Situated in the centre of Rye, a stone’s throw from the Merchant & Mills shop.

Renovated to bring back its former Victorian splendour. Much attention has been paid to the generous kitchen and large conservatory dining area to create a perfect social area to begin and finish each day. The 2 reception rooms are both spacious and cosy for evenings of relaxation.

There are 6 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms over 2 floors. Surrounded by beautiful fabrics and unlimited inspiration the guests can immerse themselves in a Merchant & Mills cocoon.

R o o m   1 2 3 4 5 6

A large formal Victorian front bedroom featuring original fireplace, original built in wardrobe and lovely large patio doors opening on to the front balcony. The Victorian plaster work has been lovingly restored and the room has been decorated in a gentle palette of calm neutrals.

For a touch of grandeur, we installed a beautiful hand-forged king-size iron four poster bed and layered it with throws and vintage Chinese cotton cushions.

The floor sports rugs from Turkey and the room is home to some carefully selected furniture pieces and lighting.  The mirror, paintings and side tables and mirror are some favourite vintage finds.

The front shower room is all about textures: a reclaimed terra cotta floor and white zellige tiles both sit calmy with the glass frame walk in shower.  The salvaged sink has an unusual and pretty cast-iron frame. This room shares the front shower room with room 2.

R o o m   1 2 3 4 5 6

Classically proportioned, the rear facing large bedroom 2 has restored cornice and ceiling rose, crowning the original fireplace and original cupboard wardrobe.

There is a magnificent hand-forged king-size iron four poster bed, dressed laundered linen and bolsters, with selected throws over the organic wool duvet and pillows.

Rugs from Turkey, considered lighting, curious detailing and vintage finds furnish the room. A small, traditionally upholstered armchair, framed by distressed original Catalan shelves is the highlight of this unique scheme.

The front shower room is all about textures: a reclaimed terra cotta floor and white zellige tiles both sit calmy with the glass frame walk in shower.  The salvaged sink has an unusual and pretty cast-iron frame. This room shares the front shower room with room 1.

R o o m   1 2 3 4 5 6

Rooms 3 & 4 are a pair of adjoining bedrooms, sat at the very back of the first floor. The first, our smallest room is also a walk-through to the second of these two rooms.

Both rooms feature restored antique French beds the second room is a double and the front first room is a small double.

These are lively rooms designed around the beautiful detailed Injuri throws that cover the beds over large bed bolsters on organic wool duvets and pillows. Traditionally upholstered vintage armchairs and end of bed benches, bedside chairs and vintage photography lamps, create a calm, homestead feel as light glows through linen curtains.  

For privacy, the dividing door window is curtained and can be closed!

These bedrooms share the large bathroom, with a shower over a roll top bath framed by linen shower curtains. Reclaimed terra cotta flooring, flanked by tongue and groove panelled walls make a natural backdrop for the salvaged sink, supported with an antique iron frame and finished off perfectly with a tramp art mirror.

R o o m   1 2 3 4 5 6

On the top floor we have the first of these two charming bedrooms. Both rooms have had their original tongue and groove cladding restored. They have both retained their original fireplaces.

Bed 5 is the smaller of the two and is situated at the back of the house looking over the garden.

The antique brass bed is dressed with a throw and a large bolster cushion in hand loomed Indian cotton over organic wool duvets and pillows.

Side tables are vintage finds, and the room has a traditionally upholstered antique armchair in brown over dyed ticking.

This bedroom has its own bathroom. With a small bath and handheld over-bath shower set. Zellige wall tiles and a reclaimed terra cotta floor, make for a small but perfect washroom.

R o o m   1 2 3 4 5 6

The slightly larger front bedroom 6 looks to the west and gets a gentle light in the morning.

The antique brass bed is dressed with a throw and a large bolster cushion over organic wool duvets and pillows Bed linen Day Break and First light extra wide linen.  Organic wool duvets and pillows.

The Swedish rocking chair, side table and antique chest of drawers are all local finds.

Room 6 also has its own bathroom. The shower is clad in perfect green cement tiles, and the walls in traditional tongue and groove.