Inside a thatched coastal cottage with a modern twist
When a rare opportunity came about to own this beautiful seaside cottage in Cornwall, the new owners carefully restored the property to its former glory, albeit with a fresh interior style.
Image: Colin Poole
At Land’s End, away from the seaside crowds, there is a rare delight – a model village of the 10 prettiest houses in all of Cornwall. And although they didn’t know it at the time, Lisa and James were about to buy one of them in real life: Fisherman’s Knot.
‘It was one of those “wow moments” when we saw the cottage,’ Lisa recalls. ‘We were looking for a second home to enjoy family holidays; somewhere to leave city stresses behind.’
The couple were keen to renovate and update the property to preserve a piece of Cornwall’s heritage, and this is the result.
Words: Natalie Osborn
The house
Image: Colin Poole
The stone-built, Grade II-listed bolthole is a story of two halves. Dating back to the 1700s, it was first a two-up, two-down, but then an even smaller one-up, one-down was added as a honeymoon home for a past owner’s family.
‘It was being used as a single cottage when we bought it, but by taking it back to its original configuration, we could host two lots of guests at the same time or open it all up when we stayed there with friends and family,’ Lisa explained.
The work began by extending the little honeymoon home to include a small second kitchen and bathroom, then a soundproofed hidden door was added to link the two together.
The kitchen
Image: Colin Poole
Keen to support the community, Lisa’s new kitchen was handmade by local company Rozen. A classic in-frame Shaker style, bold geometric tiles help to bring the design vibrant new life.
The dining room
Image: Colin Poole
Mid-century designs in hues of blue and white are a stylish twist on traditional seaside décor scheme – before they moved in, the same fishing family had owned the place for over 100 years and every room was chock-full of furniture and fishing paraphernalia. Now, a decorative display of Lisa’s favourite books act as artwork, while wicker crab-catchers nod the the home’s heritage.
Blue, green and yellow accents run throughout the house, helping to link the separate rooms and bring a flow to the space. Lisa wanted the interiors to feel inspired by their coastal setting, but not rely on an off-the-peg beachy theme.
The bedroom
Image: Colin Poole
While the majority of the bedroom is clean and white, letting the view from the window do the talking, a feature wall, headboard and wall lights bring the character to the other side of the room. A small glass pendant over the bed ensures the views can still be enjoyed from every angle.
The bathroom
Image: Colin Poole
A traditional style panelling in this classic bathroom is given a new twist with colourful Arabesque tiles. Three mirrors positioned along the wall give another nautical nod to portholes.
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