Live like a local: The Monastery in Rye
Located inside The Monastery, a former 14th-century Augustinian friary that blends ecclesiastical and brutal industrial architecture, Alex MacArthur Interiors offers an eclectic selection of antique pieces dating from the 17th century to the 1980s. With candles sometimes flickering in a corner and the smell of incense lingering in the air as you enter, visiting the showroom space is akin to a religious experience in itself.
Alex’s love for strong statement pieces is evident everywhere here, with large urns filled with flowers decorating a heavy metal dining table or exquisite lighting pieces, such as Holophanes and Murano wall lights, often stealing the show. We met up with our St John neighbour to discuss his phenomenal collection and his future plans for this incredible space:
Hi Alex, thank you so much for meeting with us! I wanted to start with the journey that brought you to the Monastery, as I know you previously ran your very successful business in Brighton. What made you decide to relocate to Rye a few years ago?
Originally, I had a shop in Brighton which I closed in 2012 when I relocated my business to my home as I was becoming more nationally and internationally known so I started feeling that I was wasting my time just sitting in the shop. I had this fabulous Regency townhouse and was already bringing clients back to see larger pieces, so it felt like a natural progression. I then spent the subsequent three years running my business from home and people loved the concept!
I was holding quarterly open houses and seeing people by appointment while also exhibiting at the Battersea Decorative Fair in London three times a year and although it all worked extremely well as a business model, it became stressful living inside a showroom. You can imagine the situation when everything would be for sale; I would sell a chest of drawers and consequently, all of my clothes would end up in bin bags. The stock had to be carted up and down the stairs and showing at Battersea felt like I was moving house 3-4 times a year so it was hectic and I knew it could only have a certain lifespan.
I started looking for an architecturally interesting space, having a very clear idea of what I wanted, but the synchronicity that followed after was quite unbelievable. When I first saw the Monastery I got butterflies! It was all the things that I had listed in a building: landmark, lateral space, architecturally interesting, industrial, ecclesiastical - all in one! And it was in E. Sussex where I wanted to live due to its proximity to Brighton, London, and Europe so I knew that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Meanwhile, I had this feeling that Rye was attracting more people from the creative industries and I loved that it was such a romantic place with its unspoilt architecture, perched on a hill with the Monastery right in the center of it. The building sits proudly on a quiet cobbled street with relatively few neighbours so it feels a bit like you’re in the country abode but you’re actually in the middle of the town which is fabulous! Despite its position, just off the high street, it feels incredibly private because all the windows look inwards around a large garden and many passers-by cannot imagine the scale of it or what’s going on inside. It was a big risk, but I tend to follow my heart more than anything else, so I decided to take a leap of faith and make the move.
Did it feel like another exciting restoration project for you or was it quite daunting?
It was probably the scariest thing I've ever done in my life! On one level, it was absolutely terrifying, because it made no financial sense but it also involved living in a caravan in the garden for 18 months while I was restoring the attached cottage. The building was totally derelict but I had a vision and I had to go for it. I always say, when you’re challenged to the maximum you tend to grow the most. I probably spent about 3 years free-falling after that. In many ways, It’s been really challenging but I always knew that this process would be about following dreams and facing demons - and by that, I mean limiting beliefs. The Monastery has taught me to practice faith over fear and that’s very fitting to this sacred space. It has taught me lessons that I would never have received otherwise.
Has your taste changed since you moved into this new space? Do you feel like the experience of different architectural styles has had that effect on your selection of stock?
I think that in the same way we grow as human beings, our taste also changes with us. It’s an expression of who we are and that is always evolving. What gives this work meaning and purpose, for me at least, is that I recognize that all I’m doing is expressing myself in the world through what I choose. It’s almost like I’m creating installations really, so I think the context in which they are set will have an impact on my artistic expression.
When I was in a Regency townhouse, as I was in Brighton, putting a huge industrial letter from a hotel on the wall of the formal dining room would be so out of context that it would have a huge impact. Whereas, in the Monastery, you might want to add something sleek and stylish with an amazing form from the 20th century because that could look much more interesting against the backdrop. It’s about balance. I’ve always liked the idea of mixing different styles together and juxtaposing them to create drama, so actually the context is as important as the object. One has to work with the space.
In many ways, the Monastery and your home in the adjacent cottage are functioning as lived-in displays, similar to your previous Regency townhouse in Brighton. What does that process mean for your work?
As you said, I live in the cottage but I am styling the Monastery too as a complete space because I’m branching into events. Instead of it being a lifeless warehouse full of stock, it has become sort of a gallery of curated pieces that I collect on my travels, so there is this constant internal dialog where I have to consider how something can fit into the whole. However, that is what makes my work exciting. In my fantasy, the Monastery is my industrial, monastic palazzo and the upstairs is a drawing room, while the downstairs has the quality of a grande loft space. That all feeds into the creative process; it’s very experiential. My business is about using artistic judgment, self-expression, the installation and the experience; I’m not commercially minded.
Do you have a favorite room in the house or are they like children, where you can’t choose?
To be honest, every single space in this building is special in its own way. There used to be areas that were quite odd and decaying or even scary but since it’s been renovated and brought back to life, every room has become interesting. The whole building is now truly mesmerizing and beautiful.
Tell us more about the events you mentioned earlier. What does the future of the Monastery look like?
Recently, I feel as though I’m having this calling to express more of who I am in what I do. Maybe it's something more to do with my stage in life, you know, realizing I only have a certain amount left in which to express myself and make a difference. What I understand now, is that this building can provide the space for me and for others to do that. The Monastery could become a sanctuary where people, and especially minorities, can come together and create, sort of like a spiritual base. I think the building would be very happy about that.
I’m considering planning spiritual retreats, meditation mornings, talks and workshops around art and creativity that help us open our minds and become more conscious. In a way, what I find very symbolic about that is that this building had its own dark underbelly and now it feels like this restoration has released the trauma, the dark side, to allow the light in. It feels like the kind of transformation that one goes through personally. Or at least I like that idea.
In terms of other events, the potential is huge. Ranging from a handful of exclusive weddings a year, because the building lends itself to that so well with its unparalleled romantic character, candle-lit evenings with champagne and live opera or even fashion shows, dance performances and supper clubs which celebrate beauty and creativity. These curated events will enable the Monastery to sustain itself going forwards and the sanctuary it provides for freedom of expression, celebration of diversity, inclusiveness and love will hopefully be expansive and far-reaching.
If you’re looking for a tailor-made shopping experience, this has to be on your list of places to visit. The Monastery is located opposite our St John on Conduit Hill, so access is incredibly easy. Please keep in mind that visits are only available by appointment so don’t forget to book in advance!
The Monastery in Rye, 1 Conduit Hill TN31 7LE
themonasteryinrye.co.uk @the_monastery_in_rye
alexmacarthur.co.uk @alexmacarthurinteriors
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