THE CALL OF THE OCEAN

It was the beautiful views of the sea that made this elegant house in a pretty Cornish fishing village so irresistible to Emma and John Sims-hilditch

A stylish seaside home in Cornwall

WHO LIVES HERE

Interior designer Emma Sims-hilditch and her husband, John, co-founder of furniture company Neptune, bought this four-bedroom Edwardian villa as a holiday home in 2014. Emma and John were sailing the coast of the Roseland Peninsula in Cornwall when they spotted the house for sale and made an offer. The couple planned an extensive renovation. ‘We wanted to turn it into the family getaway we were dreaming of,’ explains Emma. ‘Although our children are grown up now, we wanted to meet them here as often as possible, so comfort, convenience and a feeling of calm were our priorities.’

OPEN-PLAN SPACE

Emma and John opened up the ground floor, creating an L-shaped open-plan living/dining room with a wood-burning stove from Jøtul. Emma chose neutral colours and added strong blue accents by painting a few key pieces of furniture in De Nimes by Farrow & Ball, to tie the open-plan areas together. ‘We love that in some lights the colour looks grey, in others blue and occasionally green,’ says Emma. The sofa, coffee table and footstools are all from Neptune.

DINE IN STYLE

Tall storage in the dining area provides plenty of space for stashing away crockery and glassware. The dining table and chairs are all from Neptune.

MARINE DREAM

By layering soft colour, Emma created a modern seaside feel without cliché. ‘I chose cool whites in tonal variations, together with blue-greys,’ she says. The living room’s curtains are in Chukka fabric in Tusk from De Le Cuona.

PALE AND INTERESTING

As a fan of cooking and entertaining, Emma adores the kitchen. She chose a Neptune Suffolk kitchen with white marble worktops, completing the look with white pendants and chairs. Pale, glossy tiles from Marlborough Tiles bounce light around the room and wooden accents are dotted throughout to add contrast.

WARM WELCOME

A glazed door makes an inviting entrance to the house. The Cornwall map print is from Bold & Noble.

BOX CLEVER

Fitted storage in the hallway keeps boots, hats and bags tidy and out of the way.

BATHROOM RETREAT

When converting the office into a main bedroom, Emma and John also made space for an en-suite bathroom. The vanity unit is from Neptune, the basin is from Villeroy & Boch, and the taps are from Lefroy Brooks. Similar pebble-effect flooring can be found at Karndean.

ROOM WITH A VIEW

Emma and John turned an upstairs office with stunning sea views into a luxurious bedroom suite. The vista is absolutely gorgeous from almost every window in the house, but especially from the balcony of this room. Table lamps that resemble driftwood are another nod to the seaside location. Emma reupholstered a bed frame in the Constance fabric from Cabbages & Roses. The light and airy shades of white are offset by small doses of pattern in the cushions covered in Maremma Rigato fabric from C&C Milano, and a throw adds texture.

GO WITH THE FLOW

All of the guest rooms have matching headboards and throws for a unified look. Here, bolster cushions are made up in the Jack All Star fabric from Peony & Sage. The dressing table, glass lamp base and lampshade are from Neptune. Curtains made bespoke by Sims Hilditch finish the look.

RELAXED LIVING

The summerhouse provides a delightful place in which Emma and her family can relax. The white woven armchair is complemented by a faded floral cushion to create a calm and tranquil reading corner.

GREEN FINGERED

Emma loves to cook using fresh herbs from her garden.

SAFE HAVEN

The house sits on the coast near the ancient fishing village of St Mawes, and views of the estuary and coast are visible from almost every aspect. ‘When I’m here, I feel like I’m cut off from the rest of the world,’ says Emma. ‘It’s a special place, full of memories and always a source of inspiration.’