Norfolk


<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1400" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2024/03/paula-sutton-hill-house-vintage3.jpg" alt="Paula Sutton of Hill House Vintage" class="wp-image-49886" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2024/03/paula-sutton-hill-house-vintage3.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2024/03/paula-sutton-hill-house-vintage3-571x800.jpg 571w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2024/03/paula-sutton-hill-house-vintage3-714x1000.jpg 714w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2024/03/paula-sutton-hill-house-vintage3-768x1075.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>A burst of sunshine on your grid, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/hillhousevintage/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hill House Vintage</a> is an aspirational instagram account founded by Norfolk-based interiors and style influencer Paula Sutton through which she shares scenes of her rural life with her half a million followers. Looking as if she’s stepped straight off a <em>Bridgerton</em> set, Paula is seen dressed in retro frocks or country garb, arranging multi-tiered cakes, gorgeous tablescapes and freshly picked blooms in her vintage-styled Georgian home and garden.</p>



<p>Nostalgic and a tad tongue-in-cheek, Hill House Vintage is an ode to simple-living cottagecore &#8211; the antithesis of Paula’s whirlwind London days as head of press at Elite Premier modelling agency (at the time of Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista and Christy Turlington) and then as bookings editor for <em>Elle </em>magazine<em>. </em>Wanting to make a break from her all-consuming career before she hit burnout, Paula bought Hill House in 2010 and moved to Norfolk with her husband and their three children.</p>



<p>Today, Paula has found writing to be another outlet for her creativity. She shared her tips, tricks and recipes in her first book, <em>Hill House Living</em>, and has just published her second, this time a work of fiction. You might expect a Regency romance from Sutton, but it’s actually a whodunnit. The first of a series, <em>The Potting Shed Murder </em>is set in a sleepy village, with a central character who has left London behind and is settling into new life in rural Norfolk. Sounds familiar.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1200" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2024/03/paula-sutton-hill-house-vintage7-2.jpg" alt="Paula Sutton standing in front of table setting in garden of Hill House Vintage" class="wp-image-49893" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2024/03/paula-sutton-hill-house-vintage7-2.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2024/03/paula-sutton-hill-house-vintage7-2-667x800.jpg 667w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2024/03/paula-sutton-hill-house-vintage7-2-833x1000.jpg 833w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2024/03/paula-sutton-hill-house-vintage7-2-768x922.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-first-drew-you-to-norfolk">What first drew you to Norfolk?</h2>



<p>My parents-in-law owned a Georgian farmhouse in Norfolk and my husband and I would drive up from London to visit them at weekends. It became this wonderful retreat for us &#8211; so calm, quiet and beautiful, very different from our high-octane life in London. We actually married in Norfolk at St Mary&#8217;s Church in Denver, a beautiful country church not far from Hill House. I was born in London and I love London, but I knew that I wanted a different lifestyle, especially for the children. We went through ups and downs in the beginning, but my goodness, I don&#8217;t think there&#8217;s one time when we regretted our choice. I&#8217;m in London quite a bit now for work, so I have my lovely injection of fun and fast paced things, but my heart is 100% in rural Norfolk.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tell-me-a-little-bit-about-your-latest-book">Tell me a little bit about your latest book?</h2>



<p>I&#8217;ve always had a hankering to write a novel and I&#8217;m obsessed with murder mysteries. I love cosy crime like Agatha Christie and&nbsp;<em>Midsomer Murders</em>, but I don&#8217;t love blood, guts and gore. My story is based in a set of connecting Norfolk villages, which are very much like the area that I&#8217;m in. In rural Norfolk there are so many characterful buildings and interesting people who have unexpected family connections. You&#8217;ll meet somebody in a village who you would assume wouldn&#8217;t know somebody else and then you find out that they&#8217;re actually related or connected somehow, or there&#8217;s some sort of intrigue that&#8217;s gone on. It&#8217;s ripe for imagining that there might be a twist, something mysterious behind that situation.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1400" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2024/03/paula-sutton-hill-house-vintage5.jpg" alt="Paula Sutton of Hill House Vintage with her book The Potting Shed Murder" class="wp-image-49890" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2024/03/paula-sutton-hill-house-vintage5.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2024/03/paula-sutton-hill-house-vintage5-571x800.jpg 571w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2024/03/paula-sutton-hill-house-vintage5-714x1000.jpg 714w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2024/03/paula-sutton-hill-house-vintage5-768x1075.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-much-was-the-story-inspired-by-your-own-situation">How much was the story inspired by your own situation?</h2>



<p>Daphne Brewster is basically me when I first moved here, trying to find herself in a very similar way. We&#8217;d spent all our money on buying the house and I was trying to find inventive ways of furnishing it. The most economical solution was to look in vintage and antique shops, car boot sales and old curiosity shops &#8211; and, of course, Norfolk is just laden with those sorts of things. Daphne is a bit of a magpie who starts buying and selling vintage furniture and eventually opens her own shop. So she’s very much a fantasy figure based around my experience, although I haven&#8217;t come across any murders, I must say.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-was-your-routine-when-writing-the-book">What was your routine when writing the book?</h2>



<p>What I discovered about myself is that I can&#8217;t force writing. Some days it would come flowing out of me and I would think: &#8220;This is amazing, I&#8217;m going to finish this book in one go.&#8221; Then suddenly everything would just stop dead, my mind would go blank, and I would wonder if I would ever finish it. I&#8217;ve been told that you&#8217;re supposed to write 500 words a day, but I don&#8217;t do my best work if I&#8217;m making words appear as opposed to feeling words appear.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-was-your-writer-s-block-fix">What was your writer&#8217;s block fix? </h2>



<p>To relax and do some gardening. It&#8217;s completely meditative and steadies my mind which then unblocks my thoughts. I&#8217;m no expert at gardening, by the way. I&#8217;ve learned as I&#8217;ve gone along, through trial and error. I make lots of mistakes, but I love it anyway. It&#8217;s so forgiving.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1200" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2024/03/paula-sutton-hill-house-vintage5-2.jpg" alt="Paula Sutton of Hill House Vintage outside potting shed" class="wp-image-49889" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2024/03/paula-sutton-hill-house-vintage5-2.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2024/03/paula-sutton-hill-house-vintage5-2-667x800.jpg 667w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2024/03/paula-sutton-hill-house-vintage5-2-833x1000.jpg 833w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2024/03/paula-sutton-hill-house-vintage5-2-768x922.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-do-you-hope-readers-will-get-out-of-the-book">What do you hope readers will get out of the book? </h2>



<p>In my social media and writing there always needs to be humour and cosiness, and for everyone to be in on the joke. I hope people will find it a really good romp of a story but I also want it to be a warm hug. It&#8217;s meant to be a character that people can identify with. The side story is about finding friendships, changing your life and finding a new, wonderful way of living.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-books-are-you-loving-right-now">What books are you loving right now?</h2>



<p>I&#8217;m fascinated with historical biographies. I&#8217;ve started <em>The King&#8217;s Assassin</em> (now TV series <em>Mary &amp; George</em>) which is rather racy, so I&#8217;m looking forward to finishing that one. Also <em>The Chiffon Trenches: A Memoir of André Leon Talley</em> which is throwback to my time on <em>Elle </em>magazine. I also tend to have a classic on the go &#8211; my comfort food for when my mind is tired. I&#8217;m a Jane Austin enthusiast and my absolute favourite is <em>Persuasion</em>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-do-you-go-for-retail-therapy-in-norfolk">Where do you go for retail therapy in Norfolk?</h2>



<p>If I want to have a bit of everything &#8211; vintage, antiques, art, kitchenalia and great places to eat &#8211; I will head to Holt. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/holt_antiques_interiors_centre" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Holt Antiques &amp; Interiors</a> is wonderful with so many different rooms, and I also love <a href="https://bayfieldhallantiques.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bayfield Hall Antiques &amp; Interiors</a> as you come into Holt. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BulldogBarns/?locale=en_GB" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bulldog Barns</a> in Northwold is where I started my vintage trading journey, which was a great passion of mine. I had a stall there for many years and I put a dedication to the owner Mary at the start of my book. <a href="https://www.thewarehouseantiques.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Warehouse Antiques and Collectibles</a> in Setchy, on the way into King&#8217;s Lynn, is absolutely brilliant, too.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1200" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2024/03/paula-sutton-hill-house-vintage3-2.jpg" alt="Inside potting shed belonging to Paula Sutton of Hill House Vintage" class="wp-image-49885" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2024/03/paula-sutton-hill-house-vintage3-2.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2024/03/paula-sutton-hill-house-vintage3-2-667x800.jpg 667w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2024/03/paula-sutton-hill-house-vintage3-2-833x1000.jpg 833w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2024/03/paula-sutton-hill-house-vintage3-2-768x922.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Inside Paula&#8217;s potting shed</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-which-historical-houses-and-gardens-in-norfolk-do-you-especially-like">Which historical houses and gardens in Norfolk do you especially like? </h2>



<p>There many that I love but my favourite is <a href="https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/norfolk/oxburgh-estate" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Oxburgh Estate</a> which is just up the road. It&#8217;s such a magical place to have on my doorstep and it looks like a fairytale castle with its drawbridge. When I first moved here, I was very inspired by their wonderful vegetable beds with box hedge surround.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-do-you-eat-out">Where do you eat out?</h2>



<p><a href="https://bedingfeldarms.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Bedingfeld Arms</a> is a favourite &#8211; delicious food, lovely people, and conveniently just across the road from Oxburgh Hall, so perfect after a stroll. If I&#8217;m going further afield, <a href="https://www.thedabblingduck.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Dabbling Duck</a> in Great Massingham is wonderful. Also, <a href="https://www.shepherdsbaalynford.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Shepherds Baa</a> at Lynford Hall in Thetford Forest where we walk the dog. It&#8217;s only tiny but it&#8217;s very popular and they do great coffee, hot chocolate and cake. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-do-you-have-a-favourite-local-bookshop">Do you have a favourite local bookshop? </h2>



<p><a href="https://www.toppingbooks.co.uk/events/ely/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Toppings</a> in Ely, if I am allowed name one over the border? I went to <a href="https://kettsbooks.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kett&#8217;s Books</a> in Wymondham for the first time about three weeks ago. It&#8217;s wonderful. It has been decorated so imaginatively and the people running it are lovely.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-are-there-any-local-influencers-that-you-follow">Are there any local influencers that you follow?</h2>



<p>My two good local friends, Louisa Sudson of <a href="https://www.instagram.com/elegantlyknackeredstyle/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">@elegantlyknackeredstyle</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tamsynmorgans/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">@tamsynmorgans</a>. Louisa and her husband are completely renovating their house by themselves &#8211; it&#8217;s a feat of endurance and love. Tamsyn has a beautiful, whimsical style that is very feminine and pastel hued. </p>



<p>I love my fashion but I&#8217;ve got a quirky sense of style, so I follow people more for their interiors taste. I don&#8217;t dress strictly vintage, but I&#8217;m always vintage inspired. My house is quite chintzy and faded, filled with things that could have been around for the last hundred years.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1400" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2024/03/paula-sutton-hill-house-vintage7.jpg" alt="Paula Sutton of Hill House Vintage under the wisteria" class="wp-image-49894" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2024/03/paula-sutton-hill-house-vintage7.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2024/03/paula-sutton-hill-house-vintage7-571x800.jpg 571w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2024/03/paula-sutton-hill-house-vintage7-714x1000.jpg 714w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2024/03/paula-sutton-hill-house-vintage7-768x1075.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-do-you-ever-just-wear-jeans-and-a-fleece-and-eat-a-cheese-toasty">Do you ever just wear jeans and a fleece, and eat a cheese toasty?</h2>



<p>When I first moved up here, I wore jeans with my husband&#8217;s old jumpers. Those were the two years when I wasn&#8217;t 100% happy and was trying to find my way. Getting dressed in the morning, putting on my red lipstick and pulling an outfit together brings me a lot of joy, so I choose to wear the lovely clothes, even if I&#8217;m getting it muddy. I don&#8217;t wear the dress just for the photo. Life&#8217;s far too short to sort of save anything for best. Make every day a special occasion and don&#8217;t wait until that skirt doesn&#8217;t fit you anymore.</p>



<p><strong>Paula&#8217;s book, <em><a href="https://www.dialoguebooks.co.uk/titles/paula-sutton/the-potting-shed-murder/9780349703763/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Potting Shed Murder</a></em> (Dialogue),&nbsp;is out now.</strong></p>



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Muddy meets: Paula Sutton of Hill House Vintage

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