A REAL GEM

Christen Pears and Chris Blake travelled halfway around the world to create their little piece of heaven

Relocating from Australia to the UK led this pair to a charming farmhouse in Cornwall

Christen Pears and Chris Blake found their new home via an unorthodox route. As part of a move from Australia to the UK, Christen travelled ahead of Chris with an agreed list of nine properties to view in Cornwall and Devon. ‘We were specifically looking for a property with holiday cottages,’ explains Christen. ‘But the first house I visited, in Cornwall, ticked so many boxes and felt so right, I just knew it was meant to be.’ Cancelling the other viewings was a bold move with Chris still some 9,500 miles away and a house that was a far cry from Christen’s idea of a dream home which, up until this point, had been the classic Georgian property packed with period features. ‘I love that look but this house had so much of the other stuff we wanted,’ she says. ‘It had the cottages, space for a Pilates studio and an amazing garden.’ The previous owner had done a lot of the major work to the house and had installed a new bathroom, underfloor heating and had run engineered-wood flooring throughout the ground floor. She had installed new windows and had re-slated part of the roof, but some parts of the property still needed attention. ‘The floors upstairs weren’t great and the old conservatory was held on with strong tape and had greenery growing through it,’ recalls Christen. A new extension resolved the wobbly conservatory and they created space for an extra bathroom, too. The couple looked to make the most of the few original features that

remained, including exposing some of the stone walls. ‘We’ve done our best to preserve what was already there but have also tried to respect the house in the choices we’ve made, reusing materials and going with a rustic feel.’ Christen’s wish list had included a pantry but she went one better and found space for a much larger scullery. ‘An open-plan kitchen is nice if you’ve got people round and you can be cooking and talking but you don’t really want all the washing up in the sink and prep mess everywhere,’ she says. ‘The scullery is great for keeping all of that out of the way.’ Repurposing materials throughout helped save on budget but also created a relaxed and timeless look. A spacious downstairs cupboard was built from old floorboards, and in the barn, Christen’s ever-growing book collection is housed on shelving made from scaffold boards. And it was this barn that partly sold the house to Christen. ‘It was falling down so it needed a complete renovation using traditional methods and lime plaster,’ she says. ‘But it gave us a chance to put in a massive fireplace and use it as a living space.’ Having also renovated the three cottages on the plot for holiday lets through their business Middle Colenso Farm (middlecolensofarm.co.uk), Christen and Chris have learnt a lot about what does and doesn’t work. ‘It’s meant that things have flowed here quite organically. We have had that time to get to know the space and understand what works – and you can’t over-estimate the importance of that.’

DINING ROOM ‘Our builder made the table with planks he had left over,’ says Christen. Grand Prix chairs, £528 each, Skandium. For a similar pendant, try the PH5, £229, Mobelaris. Douglas fir flooring, from £60sq m, Dinesen

SITTING ROOM This cosy space is enhanced by the wood-burning stove and vintage furniture. For a similar Ernest Race vintage chair (right), £1,995, try Vinterior. Grashoppa floor lamp, £690, Gubi. Eames Lounge chair (left), £2,230, By Kallevig

KITCHEN Marble surfaces create a striking contrast with the black units. Marble worktops and splashbacks, £83.20sq m, Mandarin Stone. Aga range cooker, price on request, Aga Living. Baumalu copper pan set, £154, amazon.co.uk, is similar. Walls in Ammonite estate emulsion, £47.95 for 2.5ltr, Farrow & Ball

Fredericia Spoke-back sofa, £9,484, Finnish Design Shop. The cushions are in a selection of Josef Frank fabrics, £148m, Svenskt Tenn. Tray coffee table, £195, Hay at Amara. Grace & Glory’s potting table, £300, would suit this space

CONSERVATORY ‘This garden room replaced one that was falling down,’ says Christen.

BEDROOM Christen used wall colour as a statement feature. Walls in Hague Blue estate emulsion, £47.95 for 2.5ltr, Farrow & Ball. Westbrook bed frame, £199, Dreams, is similar. Artek Aalto 60 stool, £222, Finnish Design Shop. For a similar wall lamp, try the Bestlite BL7, £45, Mobelaris

BATHROOM Herringbone marble flooring is an elegant touch. Calacatta floor tiles, from £47.70sq m, Mandarin Stone. Cero concrete basin, price on request, Kast. La Rochelle bateau bath, £3,135, The Cast Iron Bath Company