COOL ON THE COAST

A contemporary home in Cornwall provides a calm retreat, thanks to its owners’ natural approach

On the site of an old ramshackle car port, Sarah Stanley and her partner Andy Davey have created a home that is modern yet exudes a calm, rustic feel. ‘We wanted a simple, architectural design, with raw wood shingles set against modern poured concrete and glass, so the building is striking, but also manages to blend into its rural setting,’ explains Sarah. The result is a single-storey property that explores the creative potential of concrete. It has been used for floors, worktops, exterior walls and garden seating. And there’s concrete-effect paintwork on the internal walls and ceilings, ensuring a mottled grey patina envelops every room.

Given the building’s small footprint, the layout is straightforward, with most of the space devoted to an open-plan living-kitchen-dining area that leads out onto a covered deck. At the other end of the living space, behind a sliding barn door, is the bedroom and ensuite bathroom.

Both inside and out, concrete has been combined with the natural tones of timber to soften this typically Brutalist material. Larch wood shingle cladding has been used on parts of the exterior, while the timber textures inside come from a variety of sources, including reclaimed scaffolding planks that have been used to clad the kitchen cabinets and wardrobe storage in the bedroom. The sliding barn door has also been made from

weathered and worn reclaimed timber, while woven bamboo lampshades and vintage wooden furniture add to the rustic vibe.

Concrete frames the home’s small windows, which resemble the peepholes of a birdwatchers’ hide. They were the brainwave of Sarah’s good friend and designer Jess Clark, who works with Sarah at Unique Homestays and helped with this home’s design. ‘Each gives a different glimpse of the landscape,’ says Sarah. The sunlight that flows in through them has a dappled effect: ‘They were designed to emulate the experience of walking through a forest on a summer day,’ she adds.

In contrast to these smaller openings, large cantilevered picture windows set at a tilt give a feeling of being immersed in nature. They were costly and complicated to manufacture, but Sarah and Andy were determined to make them work as they knew that, thanks to their design, sitting at the living room window bench would feel quite special. ‘In the bedroom, the pillows can nestle right inside the base of the window, so you can gaze up at the stars as you drift off to sleep,’ she says.

The Hide, as Sarah and Andy call their modernist creation, is a far cry from its origins as a crumbling car port at the end of the garden of their larger family home. The couple weren’t sure whether they’d get planning permission to build such a modern house, but because it’s only slightly larger than the old car port and is hidden discreetly in the landscape,

A trio of feathery woven bamboo lampshades create an ambient glow after dark

they got the go-ahead. ‘The design is different, but not intrusive,’ Sarah explains. Inside, too, the concrete feels subtle, thanks to the addition of natural hues and textures. ‘Handcrafted objects always add a gentler mood to a space,’ Sarah adds. For some all-important finishing touches to make this home feel warm and lived-in, she and Jess scoured local auctions and charity shops for interesting finds. ‘We love discovering something unexpected that hints at an interesting back story – and once you find one key piece, it can often set a theme,’ says Sarah.

A G Plan coffee table and two chairs with a Shaker-like character were purchased locally and are teamed with a more contemporary centrepiece, a moss-green velvet sofa that echoes the hues that surround the property. Above the sofa hang a trio of feathery textured woven bamboo lampshades that create an ambient glow after dark.

Setting a few simple pieces of furniture against the muted grey backdrop creates a calming and pared-back space, and The Hide is somewhere that Sarah loves to decamp to with her two Jack Russells for a weekend of dog walks, fireside relaxation and gardening. The addition of an outdoor terrace, barbecue, a seating area with a firepit and a hot tub complete her escapist vision. As Sarah says: ‘It really is a place where you can totally switch off.’

The Hide is available to rent through uniquehomestays.com