My neighbourhood

Kingsbridge, Devon

Kingsbridge isn’t a place we would necessarily have chosen,” says Jane Foster of the town she moved to almost three years ago with her partner Jim. “We moved here for sensible reasons: we wanted a bigger garden to build a studio in, and we needed a good school for Polly, our daughter.”

The 1960s house they found couldn’t have suited them better. While Jane’s bold and distinctive illustrative style with its strong outlines and cheerful colour and patterns is very much her own, it also echoes work of artists from that era like Dick Bruna (of Miffy fame) and Lucienne Day. “I love 1960s design,” she says, “so this house is perfect for us. We love how light and airy it is. People overlook this type of property in favour of period homes, but that’s because they can’t see beyond the furniture and carpets.” When Jane and Jim moved in, they took up the brown carpets, painted the floors white and Jim knocked through a concrete wall to create a longer kitchen.” They painted all the walls and ceilings white too: “We wanted a blank canvas on which we could display colourful artwork.” And Jim put up slim, wooden shelves to house their idiosyncratic belongings. The result is a clean, fresh setting for their collections of furniture – birch plywood stools particularly – objects, prints and drawings. “You have to put your character into these types of houses.”

Jane and Jim made the move from Brighton,

“WE PAINTED EVERYTHING WHITE TO CREATE A BLANK CANVAS FOR OUR COLOURFUL ARTWORK”

Kingsbridge in a snapshot

There is plenty to distract you in Kingsbridge – the estuary to stroll along and survey the boats, the high street with its independent shops, and the weekly farmers’ market. But it’s also a handy hub from which to explore south Devon. Downstream is the moneyed and nautical town of Salcombe. The sands of Hope Cove, Bigbury, Slapton and Torcross are a short drive away, too.

“Kingsbridge Hugh Street has become more interesting; Busby & Fox is a new shop selling clothes, plants, flowers and shoes. Its owner Emma Vowles has two other shops, one in Totnes and one in Truro. They are all really lovely.” busbyandfox.co.uk

“The Crabshell Inn is a few minutes’ walk from the house, right on the estuary, so it’s a frequent haunt of ours. I usually have a cake, but they do tasty pizzas, too. The children can crab from the deck while their parents eat fish and chips.” thecrabshellinn.com